THE UST Growling Tigers absorbed an 81-85 beating from the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Stags in the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup at the Arena in San Juan Tuesday.
RK Ilagan buried five-consecutive free throws down the stretch, including the go-ahead freebies, with 23.3 ticks left, to tow the Stags to the victory.
Trailing by 16 midway through the third canto, the Tigers fired 17 unanswered points to take the lead, 56-55.
Up by just three, 31-28, San Sebastian ended the second quarter on a 14-2 blitz, highlighted by back-to-back triples from JM Calma and Kenneth Villapando, 45-30.
The Stags started the game on a 21-4 barrage, but UST retaliated with a 15-1 run bridging into the second frame, capped by Rhenz Abando’s four-point play, to trim the deficit to three, 19-22.
Ilagan spearheaded San Sebastian with 28 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Calma added 18 markers and 10 boards.
Abando delivered 21 points and nine rebounds for UST.
The Tigers slid to a 1-3 win-loss card, while the Stags remained immaculate in two games.
Yesterday, UST notched its first win after beating the Arellano University Chiefs, 84-73.
The Tigers will next face the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on June 7, Friday, 2 p.m., at the same venue.
