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UAAP: Tigers tame Bulldogs, set up finals date with La Salle


Jeric Teng (R) and Kevin Ferrer carried UST past NU for the right to face DLSU in the finals. KC Cruz

The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers used a balanced 18-5 assault in the fourth quarter to make history, becoming the first fourth-seeded team to topple a first-place squad for a UAAP Finals berth, as they won 75-69 over the National University Bulldogs, Saturday, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Growling Tigers, who needed to win the very last elimination round game of Season 76 just to get into the Final Four, bested the Bulldogs last Sunday, 71-62, to buck NU's twice-to-beat advantage. They now return to the UAAP Finals, after last season falling to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, the same team they defeated to make it into the postseason, with a match-up against the DLSU Green Archers.

[Review the play-by-play of this game here]

UST head coach Pido Jarencio couldn't hold back his tears when he addressed the press after the game. "Kasi hindi ko akalaing aabot kami," he said while crying. "Speechless ako ngayon, Maraming nagdududa rin sa kakayahan ko." But the usually boisterous coach did not elaborate and was truly was at a loss for words, and soon left Kevin Ferrer to field questions from the TV panel and the press.

"Yung crowd yung nagpa-hyper sa amin," said Kevin Ferrer, after Jarencio left the room. Ferrer expressed pride in his team for overcoming the odds throughout the season, and in particular, a highly physical game today. "Masasabi ko lang na destiny 'to sa amin," he said.

Fifth-year guard Jeric Teng led all scorers with 19 points and five rebounds. Ferrer himself logged 18 points, half coming via a 9-of-13 clip from the foul line, plus five boards. Aljon Mariano scattered 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Neither team caught a rhythm from the field to start the first quarter, as tight defense and duty fouls in transition turned the game into a free-throw shooting contest early on. The Bulldogs missed more than half their attempts from the stripe, while UST's intermittent scoring was enough to put them ahead. The Tigers took a 12-5 lead on an Ed Daquioag and-one.

Glenn Khobuntin made a baseline jumper for the Bulldogs, giving them their first field goal with two minutes remaining. However, National U was unable to build off the basket as turnovers and non-shooting fouls piled up. Meanwhile, a Clark Bautista triple highlighted the end of a 19-10 period in UST's favor.

The Bulldogs briefly had a second quarter turnaround when Bobby Ray Parks and Jeoffrey Javillonar made successive drives inside, but then the Tigers' man-to-man defense took away the lane. They then attacked National U on the other end to put them in the penalty. A Teng and-one on the break gave UST a 29-19 lead with three minutes to play.

Interestingly, National U fared better against the Tigers' zone, and effectively moved the ball around to exploit it. Gelo Alolino made two triples from the right wing, while consecutive baskets from Emmanuel Mbe capped an 11-0 run. Kevin Ferrer managed to fish contact with four seconds left to tie the game from the line, and then blocked Parks' trey at the halftime buzzer, 31-31.

The Bulldogs shot 14-of-24 (54.2 percent) from the free throw line in the first half, while UST went 14-of-20 (70 percent). Also, the big men from both teams were beset foul trouble. Paolo Pe had four fouls, while Karim Abdul, Khobuntin and Mbe had three fouls each.

NU's Emmanuel Mbe (L) faced different bodies in the paint, including Paolo Pe (R), as Karim Abdul suffered from early foul trouble. KC Cruz

Despite losing Abdul early in the third frame due to his fourth personal foul, the Tigers kept control for most of the third quarter as penetration moves by Teng and Ferrer caused problems for National U. Though the Bulldogs were unable to take advantage of Abdul's absence, their fluid offense allowed Mbe and company to convert from around eight to 10 feet from the hoop. With three minutes to play, a long two by John Sheriff lent UST a 45-43 edge though, forcing the Bulldogs to call a timeout.

National U refused to buckle, and matched UST bucket-for-bucket down the stretch. Villamor answered a Teng triple with one of his own, while Troy Rosario uncorked a running hook as time expired to force a 50-49 deficit entering the fourth quarter.

That momentum sustained the Bulldogs early in the fourth quarter, as Robin Rono drove for two to hand them the lead, and impose a 56-52 margin during a 7-2 run. Their run was cut short, however, when Nico Javelona was called for a shooting foul as Ferrer attempted one from deep. Ferrer made all three tries, giving UST a one-point edge.

Rono made another trey to retake the lead, but the Bulldogs undercut themselves by missing open three-pointers as well as buckets at point-blank range. The Tigers went on their own 9-2 swing, highlighted by a Ferrer trey, to make it a 66-61 game with two and a half minutes left.

National U called for time but could not make up ground, as Parks clanged a three-pointer. Alolino then fouled Ferrer, and the latter split from the line. A minute later, Sheriff swiped a Bulldogs miss to make it a 69-61 game.

The Bulldogs' chances of coming back into the game took a serious hit as Parks began to cramp up and had to be benched. After two more charities by Mariano, Villamor knocked one down from deep to give National U just their third bucket in the last six minutes of play.

The Tigers finished the game with a 21-of-56 (37.5 percent) shooting clip, while National U shot 24-of-63 (38.1 percent). UST made 30-of-45 (66.7 percent) free throws, while the Bulldogs were just 14-of-27 (51.9 percent) on charity attempts.

Bobby Ray Parks tallied 15 points, eight rebounds and four steals, but went scoreless in the final period. Parks struggled all day, shooting 3-of-10 from the floor. Emmanuel Mbe and Jelo Glolino notched 10 points each, while Mbe added 11 rebounds.

The UST vs DLSU Finals begins Wednesday. - RAF, GMA News


The scores:

UST 76: Teng 19, Ferrer 18, Mariano 12, Bautista 8, Sheriff 6, Abdul 6, Daquioag 3, Lo 2, Pe 1, Lao 1, Hainga 0

NU 69: Parks 15, Mbe 10, Alolino 10, Javelona 9, Villamor 8, Rosario 6, Rono 6, Khobuntin 3, Javillonar 2, Porter 0, Neypes 0, Alejandro 0

Quarter scoring: 19-10, 31-31, 50-49, 76-69
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