LACK OF composure may be the story behind the UAAP Champions UST Tigresses’ so-so start in the ongoing Home and Away Invitational League (HAIL). They ended the eliminations with a 9-2 win-loss slate, good for only third place behind Season 69 bridesmaids Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws and De La Salle University Lady Archers.
UST ended the first round on a positve note with a thrilling 59-55 win over the College of St. Benilde Lady Blazers last Feb. 18 at the CSB Gym.
Season 69 Mythical Five member Marichu Bacaro and Joanne Gregorio led UST’s third quarter pull-away with an array of pull-up jumpers coupled with stifling defense for a 21-14 blast.
The Tigresses’ lead, however, proved to slow them down on both sides of the court in the fourth quarter. But UST stepped up at the right time and held the Blazers scoreless in the final minute to secure the victory.
Gregorio led the Tigresses with 13 points for UST, while Bacaro chipped in 12 markers.
“The players should need to work on their focus especially in the homestretch because it isn’t over till it’s over,” Tigresses head coach Peque Tan told the Varsitarian.
Earlier, UST had faltered against fellow Season 69 finalist FEU Lady Tamaraws, 47-62, last Feb. 11 at the FEU gym.
From a tight first to third period, the Tigresses were limited to seven points in the lethargic final canto, allowing the Lady Tamaraws to break away for good.
Ace forward Rem Buenacosa and diminutive Bacaro topscored for UST in a losing cause with 11 points apiece.
Earlier, the Tigresses experienced a heartbreaking 62-65 loss against the Lady Archers last Jan. 28 at the UST Gym, also because of a last-minute turnover.
Until next time
It was a different story altogether for the Tigresses’ male counterparts as the UST-B Tigers bid the HAIL tournament goodbye with a single win in 10 games.
The Tigers finally ended their nine-game losing streak with a resounding 90-76 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals last Feb. 1 at the EAC Gym, but their momentum proved to be short-lived as they fell to the College of St. Benilde (CSB) Blazers, 54-65, last Feb. 12 at the CSB Gym.
UST’s bulky forward Carmelo Afuang sparked a 13-8 spurt and converted on a three-point play at the five-minute mark of the final canto that kept UST in contention at 45-48. The Blazers, however, put up a 16-8 run of their own to finally pin down the scrappy Tigers.
Coach Rabbi Tomacruz partly attributed the end-game collapse to the team’s lack of strong pointguard that hobbled it from setting up a sure offense down the stretch. Veteran Mike Badua did not suit up because of a sore back, while Oscar Crisostomo was forced to leave the game 7:46 to go in the first quarter after accidentally bumping his head on two opponents.
Afuang paced the Tigers with 13 points, while William Johnston led the Blazers with 10 markers.
Chalking up a win against the experienced lineups of other teams had been a tough task for UST’s young roster, but Tomacruz said the players had been improving their skills in the process.
“Winning games is a good thing, but we focused on improving the players’ quality of game which, I think, we have achieved,” Tomacruz said.
Moreover, UST-B reduced its losing margins gradually to around 10 points from as high as 20 points since the tournament. Six of the defeats from Adamson University, Feati University, Lyceum of the Philippines, University of the East and La Salle, all coming from their home turf.
