The UST Tiger Cubs opened their UAAP Season 89 junior high school basketball campaign with a 100-75 loss to the defending champion National University-Nazareth School (NUNS) Bullpups on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the FEU-Diliman Gym.
Turnovers plagued UST’s rookie-heavy lineup, with the Tiger Cubs committing 23 miscues against 20 assists. Poor ball security contributed to an inefficient shooting night, as they made just 33.3% from the field and 22.9% from 3-point range.
“Halos lahat nanibago kanina, pero may mga players pa na hindi pa napapalaro,” UST head coach Noli Mejos told the Varsitarian.
The Season 88 champion Bullpups, meanwhile, tallied 33 assists while shooting 48.2% overall and 40.9% from deep. NUNS also held a commanding 35-19 edge in fastbreak points.
Miguel Austria led UST with 16 points, while Nicolai Cabañero chipped in 14 off the bench as the Tiger Cubs were outrebounded, 55-44.
NUNS controlled the opening quarter, closing it with a 20-6 run to build a 33-13 advantage.
The Tiger Cubs attempted to trim the deficit behind consecutive layups from Chris Olango but continued to struggle against the Bullpups, who stretched their lead to 64-28.
Cabañero and Austria spearheaded UST’s third-quarter push, helping the Tiger Cubs outscore NUNS by nine, but the deficit remained steep at 83-56.
UST continued to fight in the final frame with a 19-15 run, but the Bullpups ultimately secured the 25-point victory.
The Tiger Cubs will play at home at the Quadricentennial Pavilion for their next game against the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Fighting Maroons on Friday, Aug. 21. Charles Martin A. Manalang
