Strong second half carries Tigers past Falcons
University of Sto. Tomas overcame a sluggish start then had to weather a last-minute charge by Adamson University before prevailing, 67-62, to notch its second straight win in UAAP Season 76 action at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tigers trailed by eight at the half, 26-34, after a scoring only eight points in the second period. But they regrouped in the third quarter, outscoring the Falcons 19-7 to seize control. They appeared to have the game wrapped up after erecting a 10-point lead at 63-53 late in the fourth, but the Falcons strung together three straight triples to climb to within two at 64-62 with only 30 seconds left.
Forward Kevin Ferrer tallied 12 of his game-high 17 points in the pivotal half while fifth-year guard Jeric Teng contributed 15 markers, including a clutch jumper in the stretch, to help UST gain a fitting follow-up to its 63-58 overtime win against La Salle last Saturday while tying idle Far Eastern University at the top of the eight-team field.
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Its suffocating full-court press coupled with a 2-3 zone defense clearly spelled the key for UST, which forced seven steals in the second half and completely neutralized Adamson import Ingrid Sewa, who went scoreless after firing away 13 big points in the first 20 minutes of play.
Coming off a big 79-67 win against University of the Philippines last Sunday, the Falcons eventually dropped to 1-1 alongside the Green Archers.
The Main Man: Virtually absent in the opening half, Jeric Teng came up big in the fourth canto, tallying nine of his 15 points while serving as the anchor in the second half.
Highlighting Teng’s sizzling fourth-quarter showing was a badly-needed jumper that restored order for UST 66-62 with 16.8 ticks left.
Honorable Mention: Now on his third year, Ferrer is keen on learning further from his veteran teammates.
Held to just five points in the first half, the lanky forward thrived as the recipient of drop passes during the big surge of UST in the third, converting two big lay-ups.
Game Turning Points: After a “very horrible ”first half described by coach Pido Jarencio, the Growling Tigers showed up with fire in their eyes and looked eager to buckling down defensively.
A big 14-2 run enabled UST to take a 43-38 lead in third before enjoying its biggest cushion at 63-53 courtesy of a Ferrer lay-in off a steal against Adamson guard Ar-raouf Julkipli with 1:29 to go in the fourth.
The Falcons, however, drilled in three triples–two off Celedonio Trollano and the last off Roider Cabrera–to pull within 62-64, time down to just 30.5 seconds.
Off a timeout, Teng rose to the occasion, burying the cold-blooded jumper that virtually sealed the deal for the Growling Tigers.
They Said It:
UST coach Pido Jarencio: “Ang sama nu’ng first half namin–sobrang sama. Defensa talaga ang nagdala sa’min. nag-full court press kami at andami naming nakuhang steals. Nawala yung advantage nila kay Sewa. Nanawa na silang ibigay ‘yung bola kay Sewa. Nag-response rin ‘yung mga bata at ayaw nilang matalo.”
Jeric Teng: “Nung first half, medyo gigil kaming lahat. Nagkanya-kanya kami. Nugn second half, iisa lang ang mindset naming. Mahabol ‘yung Adamson.”
Kevin Ferrer: “Sinabi ko kay Jeric na i-lead mo kami sa game. tapos kami ‘yung susunod.”
UST (67) - Ferrer 17, Teng 15, Bautista 9, Mariano 8, Daquioag 7, Abdul 6, Lo 5, So 0, Sheruff 0, Pe 0 Hainga 0.
AdU (62) - Cruz 15, Sewa 13, Cabrera 11, Brondial 9, Trollano 6, Jukipli 4, Petilos 3, Inigo 1, Rios 0, Monteclaro 0, Agustin 0.
Quarterscores: 18-22, 26-34, 45-41, 67-62
