Tag: Aljon Mariano

THIS is not our year.

The UST Growling Tigers failed to end their forgettable season on a high note after a 73-78 loss to the University of the East Red Warriors in the UAAP Season 77 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sept. 16.

Graduating team captain Aljon Mariano went all out in his last UAAP game with the Tigers after finishing with a game-high 18 points despite their elimination in the Final Four race by a loss to De La Salle University two games back.

With less than two minutes left in the payoff period, the Growling Tigers trimmed a 12-point deficit to six, 69-75, after Karim Abdul scored four straight points.

13 July 2014, 8:19 p.m. - The UST Growling Tigers and Tigresses opened their respective UAAP campaigns with disappointing defeats Sunday.

The Growling Tigers suffered a 40-59 beating against the National University Bulldogs at the SmarG-Araneta Coliseum while the Tigresses crumbled down the stretch against defending champion La Salle, 50-56, at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Tigers started slow offensively in the first half as they found themselves trailing by nine, 9-18, in the middle of the second quarter.

But Karim Abdul sparked a 12-3 UST run to tie the game at 21 before entering the half trailing by four, 21-25.

THE UST Growling Tigers are looking to make a big impact this season following back-to-back losses in the finals the past two years.

But the road to another finals appearance might not be easy for the Tigers, who will be without gunners Jeric Teng and Clark Bautista. They also have a new coach in Bong Dela Cruz, who replaced Pido Jarencio.

“We still need to gel and bond as a team since we have only been together recently,” the rookie coach said.

Dela Cruz admitted that his wards still had to work on their chemistry and teamwork, considering that injuries kept him from working with a full lineup during the off-season.

But though the team still needed adjustments, Dela Cruz vowed that the Tigers would still be competitive.