PAUL Desiderio sank a triple with 1.1 seconds left as the UP Fighting Maroons held on to a 74-73 nail-biter over a gritty UST Growling Tigers at the Mall of Asia Arena Sunday.
Team captain Marvin Lee earlier put the Tigers ahead, 73-71, by calmly converting his two freethrows.
But Desiderio ran off a screen and drilled in the three-pointer over two defenders.
UST had another chance for the game winner but Jeepy Faundo missed his three-point attempt as UP beat the Tigers for only the second time in 11 years.
“We played our hearts… I guess natalo kami sa sarili namin, ayan ang sinasabi ko sa kanila. We beat ourselves,” head coach Boy Sablan told the Varsitarian.
After trailing the first half by 11, UST tied the game at the end of the third, 57-all.
Desiderio led UP with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Marvin Lee had 20 markers while Cameroonian rookie Steve Akomo chipped in 15 points and 14 boards, before fouling out with over two minutes left in the game.
The Tigers will try to bounce back against the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Sept. 16, Saturday, 4 p.m., at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
