THE BLEEDING has stopped, for now.
Their season greeted by an assortment of woes, the UST Growling Tigers looked headed to follow the same losing script reminiscent of a dismal first-round campaign two years ago. But an unlikely pack of shocktroopers decided to rewrite page 5 and 6 of the Tigers’ dragging UAAP storyline as of late.
With most of its veterans still limping from various injuries, UST threw its rookie guards to the fray and the wounded Tigers pulled off their second and third victories in their fifth and sixth games in the first round.
Three days after essaying a cardiac 86-80 overtime squeaker against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, the resurgent Tigers prevailed anew, this time devouring the winless National University (NU) Bulldogs, 88-77, last July 31.
“The rookies are now enduring end game pressure, the veterans are getting more into their game and it’s only a week or two before (Japs) Cuan plays again. We are becoming more solid and flexible.” head coach Pido Jarencio told the Varsitarian. “Hindi madali bumawi pero uunti-untiin natin ang hakbang.”
Bullying the dogs
Up by a whisker, 44-43, at halftime, the Tigers appeared on the verge of collapse as the Bulldogs threatened at 49-48 early in the second half.
But Clark Bautista, UST’s quarterbacking gunslinger of choice for two games now, had other things in mind. The 5-foot-10 point guard exploited NU’s defensive fixation on double-double machine Jervy Cruz down low as he cold-heartedly nailed three triples off the kick-out pass for a nine-point swing that keyed a 65-55 Tiger breakaway which eventually loosened the bite of the hapless Bulldogs.
Bautista, who went 6-of-9 from three-point distance, led UST with 18 points and three assists while Cruz added 14 markers and 10 rebounds. Khasim Mirza, who has been a non-factor in the Tigers’ last five outings, finally got his offensive stride back, finishing with 13 points backstopped by a 3-of-9 heave from rainbow territory. Franciz Allera chipped in 12 points.
Prior to raining NU with a bushel of treys, Bautista flaunted his lethal marksmanship from the arc against an unsuspecting Adamson squad to give the ailing Tigers a fresh wind-up in completely disposing the stubborn Falcons last July 27 at the Philsports Arena.
Hounded by two Adamson defenders with 12 seconds left, Bautista faked right then stepped back out of the three-point line to drill in a booming trifecta that sent the game into an extra session at 73-all.
The 17-year-old Bautista chalked up 12 markers built around three triples while another back-up guard Carlos Fenequito tallied eight points on 2-of-3 shooting from the arc to make up for Cuan’s absence and Jeric Fortuna’s offline sniping.
Dylan Ababou led the Tigers with a career-high 26 points while Jervy Cruz posted another double-double of 19 markers and ten rebounds.
Actually the Tigers took a 70-66 edge midway in the fourth quarter. But the Falcons, capitalizing on UST’s turnovers in the succeeding possessions, launched a blistering 5-0 run anchored on Paul Gonzalgo to push Adamson ahead, 70-71. Jerick Cañada then sank a pair of charities to extend the Falcons’ lead to three at 70-73 before Bautista canned the equalizer in the return play.
The Tigers did not waste any moment in overtime, clustering an early 78-73 spread on Ababou’s two freethrows and an Allera trey.
The Falcons then retaliated with their own 5-0 blast that again tied the count at 80 apiece but Ababou towered over his defenders underneath for a three-point play that completely broke the spines of the San Marcelino-based cagers.
Save for Cuan, who is still recovering from a meniscus tear injury on his left knee, UST only showed up with ten men on the floor as Mirza, Mel Gile, and rookies Chris Camus and Emilian Vargas were suspended by Jarencio for disciplinary reasons.
Tough luck
Playing minus Cuan for the first time, UST boarded on a listless take-off, absorbing their third loss in four games, 65-70, against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws last July 20.
In a match that could have gone their way, the Tigers surrendered a close 84-85 decision to reigning UAAP champions De La Salle University last July 17.
Five days earlier, UST ripped Season 71 host University of the Philippines, 94-75, last July 12 to offset a 73-78 season-opener debacle against the University of the East last July 5. Ana Mae G. Roa and Heinz Jassen Brobo
