Growling Tigers' Allera is UAAP Player of the Week

University of Santo Tomas' Francis Allera was named Tuesday as the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Press Corps' Player of the Week. Allera, who has been tagged as the UST Growling Tigers' sixth man, averaged 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and one block in two games to get the Tigers' title-retention bid going by posting two straight victories. Allera shot a career-high 26 points, highlighted by six three-pointers, as the Growling Tigers barged into the win column with a 96-84 thumping of the Adamson Falcons last Thursday. The Tigers could not find their range early in the game until Allera got his rhythm going by hitting five treys in the first half. Still waxing hot, Allera finished with a near double-double performance of 15 points and nine rebounds in the Tigers' 76-68 win over the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons last Saturday. Allera edged University of the East forward Jorel Cañizares and Ateneo's Chris Tiu for the weekly citation given by sportswriters from the country's leading broadsheets and tabloids covering the UAAP. Cañizares powered the Red Warriors to a solo 4-0 lead with a 15-point performance in UE's 96-76 crushing of erstwhile unbeaten La Salle last Sunday. Tiu brought back the Blue Eagles on the winning track when he scored 10 of his 17 points in the third period as Ateneo escaped with a 66-65 win over National University last Saturday. Last week, the press body awarded the ANTA-backed citation to Kelvin Gregorio of the Red Warriors. Big men Joseph Lingao-Lingao of the National University Bulldogs and Ford Arao of the Blue Eagles were the opening week's honorees. - GMANews.TV