HUNGRY for a title in seven years, the UST Tiger Cubs showed what they lacked last season — a big fighting heart.
Although picking up their second consecutive loss, the Tiger Cubs proved they were a tough team to beat, dealing league-leaders Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets a near upset, 74-75, last July 26 at the Blue Eagle gym. The loss placed UST (3-2) in a tie for third place with the Far Eastern University (FEU).
“Despite the loss to Ateneo, I am confident of our team’s chances because I saw in my players the heart to win,” coach Allan Ascue told the Varsitarian. “And the more important thing is that we regained the respect of the other teams.”
Rookie Eduard Aytona completed an and-1 situation to cut the deficit, 70-73. Ateneo’s passing miscue then allowed UST to inch closer, 72-73, as bigman Kyle Neypes scored a basket off the board with 15.7 seconds left in the game.
Blue Eaglet Juami Tiongson secured two shots from the stripe to stretch the lead to three. In the succeeding possession, Tiger Cub Laurence Oriondo skirted away from all his defenders for an undergoal stab and a bonus charity. But the already exhausted Oriondo failed to convert a free throw that could have sent the game to overtime.
UST was down by as many as nine points midway through the fourth quarter after Ael Banal hammered a trey for a 56-65 Ateneo lead.
Cedric Labing-isa countered with his own three-pointer, but the Tiger Cubs could not control the tempo as Ateneo had an answer to every comeback attempt of UST.
Coming off from a sluggish first half, Ateneo relied on its outside sniping led by Blue Eagle hotshot Keifer Ravena to take a 52-59 edge at the end of the third quarter.
UST’s full-court pressure defense resulted in a late 13-3 second quarter run that turned Ateneo’s 24-27 lead to a 37-30 UST advantage going into the halftime.
Labing-isa topscored for UST with 18 points while Al Bugarin 15 markers for Ateneo.
Tamaraws’ prey
After rising to the top of the charts with a clean 3-0 slate, the Tiger Cubs bumped into the horns of a deadlier FEU Baby Tamaraws crew, absorbing a 59-64 goring for their first loss of the season last July 22.
UST entered the fourth quarter with a three-point deficit that ballooned to 40-52 as the Baby Tamaraws launched a pivotal 9-0 run.
The Tiger Cubs gradually clawed back through the backcourt tandem of Labing-isa and John Dotimas to close in at 57-61.
UST’s paltry freethrow shooting down the homestretch, however, caught the Tiger Cubs in a trap that eventually buried the España-based quintet.
Neypes and Escoto Russel led the Tiger Cubs and the Baby Tams, respectively with with 18 markers apiece.
In their earlier matches, the Tiger Cubs skinned the University of the East Red Pages, 62-67, for their third straight win last July 19.
A week earlier, UST had tamed the National University Bullpups, 70-38, after a season-opening victory against the Adamson Baby Falcons, 86-67, last July 9.
