THE UST Tiger Cubs yielded to the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws and dropped their second-straight game, 88-85, in the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup at the Arena in San Juan Tuesday.
With UST leading by a solitary point with 1:44 left in the payoff period, FEU’s Royce Mantua and Kyle Bautista drained back-to-back treys to take control late, 86-81.
The Tiger Cubs have a chance to tie the game with a second left in the game but failed to take a shot.
“Breaks of the game did not go our way. Maraming loose balls na hindi namin nakuha which FEU converted into crucial points,” UST assistant coach Juan Miguel Martin told the Varsitarian.
Trailing by eight in the third quarter, the Baby Tamaraws unleashed a 13-5 sprint, punctuated by Ice Blanco’s layup to knot the game at 49-all.
UST opened the second frame with a 14-4 blitz, capped by Derrick Villarez’s putback to establish a 10 point margin, 36-26.
Bautista led FEU with 20 points while Vince Saldua registered 16 markers and 10 rebounds.
Bismarck Lina had 26 points, 11 boards and four swats for UST.
The Tiger Cubs slid to a 0-2 win-loss card after bowing down to the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta yesterday, 90-82, while the Baby Tamaraws improved to 2-1.
UST will try to bounce back against the Nazareth School of National University Bullpups on May 24, Friday, 11:45 a.m., at the same venue.
