The UST Tiger Cubs escaped the Adamson Baby Falcons, 87-86, to close Round 1 of the UAAP Season 88 junior high school basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
The win improved UST to a 5-2 slate, earning a share of the second seed, while Adamson dropped to 4-3.
Miguel Jubilado paced the Tiger Cubs with 21 points, while Dats Datu and Gab Castro tallied 14 points apiece.
Rowie Cabañero also had 11 points and 14 assists in the tightly contested win.
“Tinatak lang namin sa isip namin na very crucial yung game na ‘to dahil tabla-tabla kami sa two (second spot),” UST assistant coach JM Lagumen said.
Down by five, 23-18, UST zoomed to a 6-0 blitz, marked by a Jubilado layup, before a free throw from Adamson ended the first quarter tied at 24.
Jubilado gave the Tiger Cubs the lead in the second quarter, 45-43, following a back-and-forth sequence, yet Adamson’s Edison Jordan kept the game tied, 45-all, with a layup at halftime.
A 7-3 run capped off by a Jubilado layup gave UST a one-point lead in the third frame, 67-66.
With the Tiger Cubs up by eight, 86-78, the Baby Falcons went on an 8-1 run punctuated by a layup from Alison Jordan with a few seconds left, 87-86.
Tabbuga then missed two free throws before Keefy Iledan missed a 3-point heave at the buzzer to hand UST the win.
Fran Flores and Iledan led the Baby Falcons with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
The UAAP has yet to announce the schedule for Round 2. Lilah Mikaela Paredes
