Akowe-less UST sends UE crashing
PETER Osang fills the void created by the absence of Collins Akowe to help UST notch 97-70 victory over UE in Season 89 UAAP men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday.
Joey Mendoza
Center Peter Osang brought the roar for University of Santo Tomas in his University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 men’s basketball tournament debut.
The Nigerian made a loud introduction with a double-double as the Growling Tigers demolished University of the East, 97-70, and fueled their Final Four drive on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Inserted as a substitute foreign student-athlete for compatriot Collins Akowe, the 6-foot-7 Osang unloaded 19 points and 10 rebounds on top of five blocks and two steals for UST’s second straight victory after snapping a three-game slide.
“I just stayed with what the coaches told me. I played nothing special. I just played with the team, helped the team and did my job. That’s it,” said Osang, who shot 7-of-10 from the field.
The Tigers improved to an even 6-6 win-loss record and dodged the Red Warriors’ upset ax as they stayed within striking distance of the top four in solo fifth.
“This is a testament of what we do behind the scenes. Peter was never not a part, he was always part of the team. We have two FSAs and he’s the other one. It turned out well for today,” UST deputy Peter Martin said.
“So, he’s gonna give us problems for the future with coach Pido (Jarencio) and the managers (choosing which FSA to play). But we’re so happy with the way he performed today and we’re looking forward to giving him another opportunity,” Martin added.
Osang made an immediate impact as a starter, sparking UST’s charge to a 35-point first-quarter scoring spree that set the tone for the blowout.
Amiel Acido led the Tigers’ relentless assault with 22 points on 8-of-13 field goal shooting, grabbed six rebounds and added five assists and three steals.
Landyn Jumawan scored 16 while Mike Llemit and Koji Buenaflor chipped in 11 and 10 markers, respectively, for the Espana-based squad.
UST dominated the battle in the paint with 52 inside points and winning the boards, 52-35.
The Tigers kept their distance the rest of the way after leading by 17 at halftime.
Jiro Sevilla gave UST its biggest lead at 31 after nailing a three-pointer for a 95-64 count with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter.
UE failed to carry the momentum of its win over Adamson University last Saturday that ended a two-year, 30-game slide as it suffered its 11th loss in 12 starts.
Tope Lagat uncorked 22 points on 7-of-14 field goal shooting while Drew Jimenez scored 10 for the Red Warriors.