FLIPPING THE SCRIPT: Tigers send Tamaraws crashing; UP survives scare
MARK Llemit and the UST Tigers assert their mastery of the FEU Tamaraws, 81-69, in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UAAP
Games on Saturday:
(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion)
2:30 p.m. — UP vs UE
6 p.m. — UST vs Ateneo
University of Santo Tomas (UST)forced Far Eastern University’s four-game winning streak to a screeching halt in a come-from-behind, 81-69, victory to end a two-match slide in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Team captain Mark Llemit, Amiel Acido and prized sophomore Collins Akowe anchored the Tigers’ closing 12-0 run after the Tamaraws knotted the count at 69 with 2:36 left.
Meanwhile, University of the Philippines waxed hot in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback from 13 points down in a 69-67 nailbiter escape over Adamson University for back-to-back wins and a share of the lead.
The Fighting Maroons poured 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a closing 7-0 run to shatter a 62-62 deadlock before holding off the Falcons for their fourth victory in six starts to join FEU and National University in a three-way tie atop the standings.
Noy Remogat finished with 14 points, Dikachi Ududo had 13 markers while Veeja Pre added 12 points and 10 rebounds for UP, which trailed 35-48 with 4:07 left in the third before sparking a decisive run in the payoff period.
Adamson, who forced two steals in the closing seconds of the game but failed to convert, dropped to a 3-3 mark.
Mat Edding scored 15, Precious Jonah had 11 while Matt Erolon and Monty Montebon chipped in 10 each in a losing cause for the Falcons.
UST overhauled a 15-point second quarter deficit by unleashing a massive 28-5 scoring avalanche in the third period that flipped the script for the Tigers on their way to improving to a 3-3 slate tied with defending champion De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University.
The Tigers recovered from a rout by Adamson and a two-point loss to National University.
“It’s been a hell week for us especially with those two losses but the good thing is these guys were not affected that much. We just did what we had to do in the second half. You see the disparity in the first half and the second half,” UST assistant coach Peter Martin said.