THE UST Tiger Cubs eked out a 70-68 victory against the Nazareth School of National University (NSNU) Bullpups to clinch the Sulit Breakdown Basketball Under-21 championship at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center on Saturday, July 20.
The Tiger Cubs relied on crucial performances from 6-foot-7 Racine Kane, who delivered a double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals, earning him the Finals MVP award.
With 41.4 seconds left, UST’s Charles Bucsit hit a fadeaway jumper to put the Tiger Cubs ahead, 68-66. However, Bullpup Chad Cartel quickly equalized with a jumper, tying the game with 25.6 seconds remaining.
As the shot clock was winding down, Kane drove through and scored the game-winning layup over Collins Akowe with 8.4 seconds left, making it 70-68.
Kane then stole the inbound pass on the next play and was fouled, but missed his free throws. The Bullpups had a chance to win or tie the game, but Cartel’s fastbreak three-pointer at the buzzer missed.
UST head coach Manu Iñigo attributed the victory to the team’s grit and determination in the final moments.
“The boys just wanted it more,” Iñigo told the Varsitarian. “They didn’t play scared, and we got lucky. We made our shots during the crucial moments of the game.”
After trailing NSNU by one point, 45-44, the Tiger Cubs ended the third quarter with a 7-3 run, leading by three, 51-48.
In the second quarter, the Bullpups led by six points with less than two minutes remaining, 34-28. The Tiger Cubs responded with a 5-1 run, highlighted by Bucsit’s three-point play, cutting the deficit to two by halftime, 35-33.
“I’m very satisfied with the performance of the boys. They are improving well, and they are learning to play together the right way,” Iñigo said.
Amiel Acido added 15 points for the Tiger Cubs, while Bucsit and Koji Buenaflor each contributed nine points.
For the Bullpups, Macmac Alfanta scored 12 points, with Akowe and Shaun Lucido adding 11 points each.
The Tiger Cubs will continue their preseason preparation by competing in the Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) in August, facing top high school teams from around the country.
“It’s a big boost for us because it will really improve our confidence as a team. This will help us believe more that we can win. We just need to be consistent and work harder,” Iñigo said. “We will be joining NGBL and more pre-season tournaments so we can work on our weaknesses and be more ready for the coming UAAP season.”
