THERE are two ways to look at the Growling Tigers’ unexpected run in the Final Four this season.
One, it was a major achievement for a relatively young squad that placed seventh in the tournament last year. Two, UST could have done better, a view coach Pido Jarencio tends to share, especially with the university celebrating its Quadricentennial anniversary.
“What I want next season is for us to really pick up early,” he said after the Tigers succumbed to eventual champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, 66-69, in their semifinal game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sept. 15.
“I don’t have any hard feelings for the kids, but I’m disappointed because I know that we could have finished with a better record.”
The Tigers were inconsistent in the first round, but stepped it up afterward en route to booking a slot in the Final Four. They could have secured the third seed (and avoided an early showdown with the Blue Eagles) if not for a crucial loss against National University
UST finished the season at sixth place in team scoring (65.3 points per game) and fifth in defense, allowing their opponents to score 65.8 ppg.
The Tigers ruled the boards with 48.1 rebounds per game (rpg). They recorded 9.72 more rebounds in their victories but only a 1.63-rebound advantage in their losses. They were also the top offensive rebounding team at 18.7 rpg, which led to 9.3 second-chance ppg.
UST’s main flaw was turnovers. The Tigers turned the ball over 18.5 times per game for a total of 277. These errors to led to 14.8 points off turnovers and 13.2 fastbreak points for opponents every game.
UST finished dead last in the assists department with 11.8 per game. With a measly assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.63, the Tigers were the least efficient team in securing the leather.
Throughout the season, the Tigers lived and died by the three-point line and transition defense. Leading the way were team captain Jeric Fortuna and top scorer Jeric Teng.
Fortuna, who finished ninth in player rankings with 50.5 points, averaged 13.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.3 assists per game (apg), and 1.3 steals per game (spg) in 15 games.
Teng had a slightly higher scoring average of 13.8 ppg on top of 4.3 rpg, 2.3 spg, 0.8 spg, and 0.3 blocks per game. Ironically, he averaged only 11.63 ppg whenever the Tigers won, and 17.17 ppg whenever they lost.
Rookie report
Cameroonian Karim Abdul finished the season third in statistical points with 60.38.
With season averages of 12.1 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 spg, and 1.5 blocks per game, Abdul set seven double-double performances, including back-to-back 21-point outings and a 19-rebound games against Ateneo last August 20.
Out of 14 games, he recorded doubl-double figures in 12 outings.
Former juniors’ MVP Kevin Ferrer contributed as well. He averaged 7.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.3 spg, and 0.2 bpg in 15 games. Ferrer’s first options on offense are his step back jumpers from mid-range and open shots from the three-point area.
Insufficient stripes
The Tigers were also hampered by the absence of a deep bench. Outside of Fortuna, Teng, Abdul, Ferrer, Chris Camus, and Carmelo Afuang, the team lacked a second unit with sufficient firepower.
“We really had problems with depth. The other players would have to mature,” Jarencio said.
He experimented with his first five throughout the season, if only to get that right mix of scorers and defenders. Only Fortuna started for UST in all 15 games.
UST’s reserves produced 19.3 ppg owing mainly to Abdul, who came off the bench in a total of 10 games. Rodolfo Serafin Jerome T. Lozada
