Still alive: UST forces rubber match against NU
With their backs against the wall, the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers lived to fight another day.
The Tigers got off to a ferocious start then hung tough in the stretch to stun the top-seeded National U Bulldogs with a 71-62 win and force a do-or-die match in their UAAP Season 76 men’s cage semifinals showdown at the Smart-Araneta Colsieum.
Kevin Ferrer topscored with 14 points, spiked by four triples, while six other teammates added six markers each as UST finally put one over NU after three tries this season while negating the Bulldogs’ twice-to-beat advantage.
The Growling Tigers, bidding to end a seven-year title drought, can complete their stunner with another victory on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 18, the last at 45-63, early in the fourth canto but pulled within five, but ultimately fell short.
Joshua Alolino led NU with 17 points while former two-time league MVP Ray Parks only had 14 markers and also had his left wrist on a bandage following a hard fall against three UST defenders at the 3:32 mark in the fourth.
The Main Man: Tasked to overshadow NU star Ray Parks, Kevin Ferrer also delivered the goods for UST.
The 6-foot-4 forward drilled in four triples in nine attempts and led the way with 14 points in a balanced offensive attack by the Tigers.
More importantly, Ferrer did a masterful job making life miserable for Parks, who only had 14 points in 12 attempts from the field.
Honorable Mentions: Skipper Jeric Teng once again came through with a clutch triple for UST.
With the Bulldogs breathing down heavily on their necks, the 6-foot-2 gunner drilled in a booming triple at the top of the key against Parks that pushed their lead back to eight with 3:40 remaining.
Also providing a big lift for the Tigers off the bench were shooting guard Tata Bautista and back-up center Paolo Pe, with the two combining for 18 points and six rebounds.
Game Turning Point: The Bulldogs clawed their way back from 45-63 with 13 unanswered points and nearly pulled closer to just three but Cameroon import Sean Mbe missed a wide-open dunk.
That led to a big five-point swing as Teng swished through a big trey before Aljon Mariano steadied UST in the waning moments.
They Said It:
UST coach Pido Jarencio: “We started aggressive. Nakuha namin ‘yung rhythm offensively and defensively. Sabi ko sa inyo, Final Four is a different story. Walang advantage dito. Ang mindset namin, nothing to lose. Ang pressure na sa kanila (Bulldogs). Ang sabi ko sa mga bata, number four can beat number one. Kami ang number four kaya nag-a-aspire kami maging number one. Mayroon silang run na tinamad kami. Breaks of the game lang ‘yun (referring to Mbe’s big miss). Kaya nagpapasalamat ako kay Mbe kasi na-miss niya ‘yung dunk.”
UST forward Kevin Ferrer: “Dumarating na lang ‘yun (good shooting). Pinaghahandaan ko rin atalaga. Tulong-tulong lang rin kami.”
The scores:
UST (71) - Ferrer 14, Mariano 12, Bautista 12, Teng 8, Abdul 7, Sheriff 6, Pe 6, Lo 2, Lao 2, Daquioag 2.
NU (62) - Alolino 17, Parks 14, Rono 8, Mbe 8, Villamor 5, Khobuntin 5, Porter 3, Alejandro 2, Rosario 0, Javillonar 0, Javelona 0.
Quarterscores: 19-8, 39-23, 54-44, 71-62.
