THE UST Tiger Cubs missed the Final Four this year, finishing the UAAP Season 81 boys’ basketball tournament at fifth place behind a 7-7 win-loss slate.
The Tiger Cubs, who placed third last season, ended their campaign with a 21-point rout of the De La Salle-Zobel Junior Green Archers, 85-64, at the Arena in San Juan last Feb. 10.
With the game tied at 5-all in the opening canto, UST unleashed a furious 22-7 blast, capped by Mark Nonoy’s layup to never look back.
“Binigay ko na sa mga seniors ko ang game na ito. Sinabi ko na lang sa kanila na they have to remember that this is their last game,” Tiger Cubs head coach Bonnie Garcia said.
UST outpaced La Salle in fastbreak points, 23-0, and managed to score 16 second chance points while grabbing 12 offensive boards.
Nonoy poured 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in his last game with the Tiger Cubs, while Jomar Amador added 15 markers.
Henrie Subido spearheaded La Salle with 14 points.
Eliminated
UST failed to defeat perennial powerhouses Ateneo de Manila University, National University and Adamson University, as shown by their losses against the three teams in each of their six total encounters this season.
Garcia said one of the Tiger Cubs’ main problem this year was taking care of the ball. They averaged 19.3 turnovers per game, the third-worst in the league.
But despite crashing out of the Final Four in his first year as head coach, Garcia remained optimistic of his team’s chances next season.
“Kinapos lang talaga kami kasi confused pa ‘yong team noong una dahil naghahanap pa sila ng identity kasi bata pa, but nevertheless, we had a good season and I can see na unti-unting nag-peak ang sistema,” he said.
Garcia added that the Tiger Cubs will continue training to keep their bodies in shape.
The team will miss the services of Nonoy, who will be moving up to the seniors’ team.
With the loss of Nonoy, Garcia said team captain and mythical team member Bismarck Lina and Johnvic Casingcasing were expected to lead the team in terms of offense next season.
