PCCL: UST comes from behind, takes game one versus Ateneo

The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers pulled away from the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles late, 82-76, and took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Finals series of the Philippine Collegiate Championship League, Tuesday, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Kevin Ferrer led his team with 18 points on a perfect 9-for-9 clip from within the arc, five rebounds and two assists. The sophomore forward said after the game, “Gusto naming bumawi, eto yung payback time namin.”

UST had lost to Ateneo in two straight games in the recently-concluded UAAP Finals.  

The Tigers put away their rivals with an 8-0 run in the final two and a half minutes, as Ateneo's offense struggled late.
 
Kiefer Ravena got going early for Ateneo, as he scored six of their first eight. But little else was going right for the Blue Eagles as Melo Afuang and Karim Abdul dropped four each against a frontline of Nico Salva and Justin Chua to take an early 12-8 lead.

Ateneo woke up midway through the quarter when Greg Slaughter checked into the game. The Eagles bought time at the free throw line, and Slaughter and Tonino Gonzaga combined for nine points to tie the game up at 19-all after 10 minutes of play.

Both teams fell into their rhythm in the second quarter, but Ateneo’s playmaking made the difference in the period. Unselfish ball from Ryan Buenafe and Nico Elorde set up a 12-2 run midway through the quarter to bring the tally to 37-28.

A triple by Jeric Fortuna with four minutes to play stopped the bleeding, but Juami Tiongson nailed a basket to restore Ateneo's nine-point lead with just over two minutes left in the first half. Fortuna soon had to check out temporarily after picking up his fourth personal foul.

The Tigers caught a break right then when Slaughter was called for delaying the game, resulting in a pair of charities for Jeric Teng. UST strung together six unanswered points, capped by a strong fast break play by Ed Daquioag, to trim the deficit further to 42-39 at the break.

Slaughter and Salva scored six points each in the second quarter.

When play resumed, back-to-back baskets by Kevin Ferrer sparked an 8-2 run as UST reclaimed the lead, 47-44. The Tigers kept pressuring the Blue Eagles on offense, led by Teng seeing time at the point guard position. On the other hand, Ateneo’s offense was sporadic at best; a Slaughter put-back with two minutes to play was only their sixth field goal of the quarter.

Ahead by a point, Ferrer scored on a breakaway dunk with 26 seconds remaining in the third to put UST up by three. Ravena answered on the other end with a triple, but Aljon Mariano had the last say with a 16-footer to fend the Blue Eagles off after three, 60-58.

In the fourth quarter, Ferrer and Mariano bullied their way in the paint for eight of the Tigers’ first 10 points. On the other hand Ateneo struggled on offense, but Tiongson and Gonzaga bailed out their team with a trey each to trail, 70-69, with under five minutes to play.

Ravena was fouled on a fast break attempt with under three minutes remaining, and the plucky guard nailed both charities to take a 71-70 lead. Gonzaga followed shortly with another transition bucket to extend t he lead to three, but Slaughter was called for the team’s third delay of game technical. Fortuna nailed both charities, and Afuang buried a jumper a few possessions later to retake the lead for the Tigers, 74-73, with just over a minute remaining.

Ateneo’s offense simply disappeared when it mattered most, and the Tigers made them pay for it. Abdul connected on a put-back and Ferrer followed with a transition lay-up to take a five-point lead, 78-73, with 19.5 seconds remaining.

Out of a timeout, Buenafe dribbled into two UST defenders and rifled in a three-ball, cutting the lead to two with 17 seconds left on the clock.

Teng was fouled on the ensuing Tigers’ inbounds and promptly converted both free throws, 80-76. Ravena tried to reply with a triple that missed, forcing Ateneo to send Mariano to the line. The forward buried both attempts to seal the victory for UST.

UST coach Pido Jarencio was sick with German measles and could not come to the game. It is unclear if he’ll be around for Game 2.

This best-of-three series will continue on Thursday, November 29, also at the FilOil Flying V Arena. - AMD, GMA News

Quarter scores: 19-19, 39-42, 60-58, 82-76