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UST overcomes a career-high 31-point explosion by FEU rookie Veejay Pre as it strengthens its hold of the No. 4 spot with a 5-6 record after three consecutive losses to start the second round
MANILA, Philippines – The UST Growling Tigers snapped their three-game skid in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament following a hard-fought 79-70 win over the FEU Tamaraws at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, October 27.
UST overcame a career-high 31-point explosion by FEU rookie Veejay Pre as it strengthened its hold of the No. 4 spot with a 5-6 record after three consecutive losses to start the second round.
Unlike the Tamaraws — who relied heavily on Pre — the Growling Tigers banked on a balanced scoring output as four players finished in double-figures led by Nic Cabañero’s 16 points.
Forthsky Padrigao backed up Cabañero with 14 points, while Kyle Paranada submitted his finest game in a UST uniform with 13 points, including 9 in the fourth quarter.
After serving a one-game suspension in UST’s 67-64 home loss to Ateneo last October 19, foreign student-athlete Mo Tounkara announced his return to the Growling Tigers’ lineup with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.
“Three-game losing streak that’s why we needed to come back,” said UST head coach Pido Jarencio in Filipino.
“The players worked hard and Kyle Paranada had a breakout game. For us, our last four games are now do-or-die games,” he added.
With UST holding a 53-46 advantage after Miguel Pangilinan and Janrey Pasaol traded long bombs to start the fourth quarter, Paranada came alive and delivered back-to-back baskets to put the Growling Tigers’ ahead by their largest at 11 points, 57-46, at the 8:22 mark.
However, UST failed to protect its double-digit edge as FEU managed to pull within just 4 points, 60-64, off a tough three-pointer by Jorick Bautista with still 4:13 to go.
With FEU still within striking distance, 64-69, after a Pasaol layup at the 2:40 mark, Paranada sank a cold-blooded corner trey, followed by a Cabañero free throw for a 73-64 UST spread, which proved too much for the Tamaraws to conquer with just 1:56 to play.
Pre connected on 11 of his 17 field goal attempts to reach his career-high 31 points, along with a game-high 14 rebounds.
He became the first rookie to breach the 30-point territory since Jeron Teng dropped 35 points for the La Salle Green Archers in Season 75 in 2012.
Pasaol added 9 points, while Royce Alforque and Bautista — who was suffering from food poisoning along with FEU’s foreign student-athlete Mo Konateh — chipped in 8 markers each.
The Tamaraws saw their record drop to 3-7, falling to a three-way tie with the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
The Scores
UST 79 – Cabañero 16, Padrigao 14, Paranada 13, Tounkara 11, Manaytay 7, Acido 6, Lane 6, Pangilinan 6, Crisostomo 0, Llemit 0, Calum 0, Laure 0, Estacio 0.
FEU 70 – Pre 31, Pasaol 9, Alforque 8, Bautista 8, Konateh 4, Añonuevo 3, Bagunu 3, Daa 2, Montemayor 2, Ona 0, Nakai 0.
Quarters: 16-13, 32-29, 50-43, 79-70.
– Rappler.com
