UST completes historic Final Four run, ousts NU to enter finals
University of Sto. Tomas made history on Saturday by toppling top-seeded National University, 76-69, in their rubber match to become the first fourth seed to reach the UAAP men's basketball finals.
The Growling Tigers pounced on the Bulldogs’ stunning self-destruction in the stretch to essay an awe-inspiring 76-69 victory in their do-or-die battle Saturday and continue their Cinderella run in the UAAP Season 76 men’s basketball championships at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Riding high on a 71-62 victory last Sunday that enabled them to stay alive, the fourth-seeded Growling Tigers mustered another big windup behind the likes of veterans Kevin Ferrer, Aljon Mariano and surprise package Sheak Sheriff to complete their stunner on the favored and top ranked Bulldogs, who saw their twice-to-beat edge and a promising campaign shattered into pieces.
UST also became the first fourth-ranked team to make it to the men's basketball finals since the Final Four format was implemented in 1994.
Graduating skipper Jeric Teng sizzled anew with 19 points while Ferrer and Mariano combined for 30 markers, 14 of them coming in the payoff period, to help UST forge an explosive best-of-three finals showdown with La Salle that starts this Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Former two-time league MVP Ray Parks endured a rough outing with just 15 points in only 10 attempts while laying a big, fat egg in the fourth where the Bulldogs visibly ran out of steam in the face of the Tigers’ jarring closeout.
The Main Man: Kevin Ferrer had the last laugh against National U star Ray Parks, after all.
Tasked to shadow the celebrated Bulldogs ace, the lanky forward outplayed him on both ends, sizzling with 18 points, including three triples, the last igniting the Tigers’ decisive 11-to-nothing run that put them in full control for good.
Honorable Mention: With frontcourt buddies Karim Abdul and Paolo Pe hounded by foul trouble, Aljon Mariano took charge when the Tigers needed him the most, banging in all but five of his 12 points in the payoff canto while hauling down 10 rebounds, three of them coming offensively.
Also giving UST an ample lift was guard Sheak Sheriff who had six points and craftily set up the table with five assists while holding his ground against NU counterpart Gelo Alolino.
Game Turning Point: After a Gelo Alolino bucket put NU on top at 61-59 going to the final 4:25, UST answered right back with a triple by Kevin Ferrer off a Sheak Sheriff feed, sparking what eventually ended up as a 11-0 surge to build a nine-point cushion.
In that rally, the Bulldogs missed a handful of attempts and suffered another setback as Ray Parks got cramps, forcing him to miss the last minute of play while UST coach Pido Jarencio was seen shedding tears of joy at their bench.
A turnaround jumper by Dennice Villamor snapped NU’s scoring drought with 32.3 seconds left but UST, behind Ferrer and Aljon Mariano, still had enough gas to finish the job.
They Said It:
University of Santo Tomas coach Pido Jarencio: “Speechless ako. Hindi ko akalain na makakaabot kami sa finals. Marami rin kasing mga taong nagduda sa kakayahan ko…”
University of Santo Tomas forward Kevin Ferrer: “Sobrang saya. Alam namin na history ito. Destiny na rin talaga para sa amin. Lahat kami nag-deliver.”
The scores:
UST (76) – Teng 19, Ferrer 18, Mariano 12, Bautista 8, Sheriff 6, Abdul 6, Daquioag 3, Lo 2, Pe 1, Lao 1, Hainga 0.
NU (69) – Parks 15, Mbe 10, Alolino 10, Javelona 9, Villamor 8, Rosario 6, Rono 6, Khobuntin 3, Javillonar 2, Neypes 0, Alejandro 0.
Quarterscores: 19-10, 31-31, 50-49, 76-69.
