Tiger Cub Mark Llemit made a game-winning layup with 0.2 seconds left to lift UST over the De La Salle-Zobel Junior Green Archers, 81-80, in the UAAP Season 85 boys’ basketball tournament at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Sunday.
The Tiger Cubs unleashed an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter, capped by a Soysoy Zanoria triple, to tie the game at 79-all with 11 ticks left.
Inbounding the ball with UST down one with 1.9 seconds left, Charles Bucsit found a cutting Llemit who muscled the game-winning layup in.
“Nagtiwala ako, binigay ko ang last play kay Llemit, hangga’t ‘di pa zero ang oras may pag-asa pa,” UST head coach Jinino Manansala said after the game. “Una ang goal namin, paliitin ang lamang, pero noong nakita ko ‘yung quotient, sabi ko, kaya natin to ipanalo.”
A technical foul was called on the Tiger Cubs after flooding the court to celebrate Llemit’s clutch layup, but DLSZ’s Kieffer Alas failed to convert the technical free throw.
Zanoria led UST with 19 points, while Llemit and JP Pangilinan had 17 points apiece.
DLSZ’s Justin San Agustin scored 19 markers, while Charles Dimaano chalked up 15 markers.
With the win, the Tiger Cubs tightened their grip on solo fourth after improving to 5-6 and breaking their tie with the now 4-7 Junior Green Archers.
The UST Tiger Cubs will next face the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday, Feb 22, 9 a.m., at the same venue.
