THE UST Tiger Cubs failed to get a share of the second seed after absorbing an 85-75 loss to the National University Nazareth School Bullpups in the second round of the UAAP Season 86 boys’ basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Sunday, Jan. 14.
UST dropped to solo third with a 6-4 win-loss record, while the Bullpups solidified their hold of the second spot with an 8-2 record.
Trailing by five early in the third frame, 52-47, a three-pointer by Joaquin Ludovice and a fastbreak layup by Andrei Dungo tied the game at 52-all.
However, the Bullpups broke the deadlock and pulled away with a 19-3 run to mount a 16-point cushion heading into the payoff period, 71-55.
UST trimmed NU’s lead down to six after a 10-0 blitz in the fourth quarter capped by three free throws by Carl Manding with 6:58 left, 71-65.
The Tiger Cubs fought hard to inch the gap after Koji Buenaflor sank a trey and Dungo converted an inside hit, 75-70, but the Bullpups came alive late with an 8-3 blitz ignited by two Chad Cartel triples to seal NU’s win.
“We went out flat, doon tayo nalamangan,” UST head coach Manu Iñigo told the Varsitarian. “‘Yung mga loose balls sila (NU) rin ‘yung nakakuha, so breaks of the game lang. Talagang ganon, pero sabi ko nga, at least lumaban pa rin nang tuloy-tuloy sa fourth quarter.”
A low-scoring first quarter saw the Bullpups go up by three with six Alnhumaeri Usop points, 14-11.
UST began the second frame with a 13-4 run capped by a fastbreak layup by Ludovice to take a six-point advantage, 24-18.
The Bullpups kept pace with an 18-11 finishing blow of the Tiger Cubs to take a three-point lead at halftime, 41-38.
NU’s offense was steered by 26 total assists compared with UST’s 16 dimes.
The Bullpups also outrebounded the Tiger Cubs, 56-39. They also outscored UST in the second chance points, 18-6.
Season 86 MVP frontrunner Collins Akowe paced the Bullpups with 16 points (6-of-8 shooting) and 24 rebounds. In their first-round matchup, Akowe was limited to eight points (1-of-10 shooting) and 19 boards.
Dungo led UST anew with 26 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Ludovice and Buenaflor chipped in 14 and 10 markers, respectively.
The UST Tiger Cubs will next face the UP Junior Fighting Maroons at the same venue on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m. with reports from Albert Earl A. Gomez
