THE UST Growling Tigers fell short to the reigning DLSU Green Archers, 92-80, in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym.
Despite the loss, one-and-done Landyn Jumawan emerged with a career-high 18 points shooting 6-of-14 from the field, all on three pointers.
During the Tigers’ double overtime loss to the UP Fighting Maroons last Wednesday, rookie Kirk Cañete scored a career-high 16 points and five assists in 33 minutes of play.
UST and DLSU went in a back-and-forth offensive display before the Archers blasted a 13-7 blitz to widen their initial lead, 13-24.
But two straight long range shots from Tiger Ice Danting trimmed the double-digit deficit of UST in the first period, 19-25.
The España squad erupted with a 9-5 run in the second quarter through Jumawan’s back-to-back treys and Mark Llemit’s floater to gain another lead, 36-34.
Archer Doy Dungo’s corner three clapback unfolded another Archers lead before both teams traded buckets. Llemit’s corner trey knocked a single-digit deficit, 44-45, but Vhoris Marasigan struck two made free throws to end the first half, 44-47.
The second half saw a parade of three-point buckets between both teams, with the Tigers unleashing a 9-5 run comeback capped off by three-straight buckets beyond the arc from Amiel Acido, Llemit and Jumawan, 68-66.
With some unanswered points from La Salle, UST managed to sustain the lead behind two-straight baskets from Akowe Collins and Kirk Cañete to conclude the third frame, 71-67.
But in the fourth quarter, La Salle embarked on a 7-3 blitz capped-off by two-straight baseline threes from Dungo and JC Macalalag to regain its double-digit lead, 74-85.
Despite Llemit’s layup and Acido’s three in the fifth-minute mark that trimmed the Tigers’ deficit to six, 79-85, Macalalag’s trey and Joaquin Tovera’s two-straight crucial points widened the gap for the Archers until the end.
Acido and Llemit paced the Tigers in the loss with 35 points and 12 assists combined. Macalalag and Dungo both marched a career-high game with 28 and 24 markers respectively.
The Tigers will head back on action in a week against the league leaders NU Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. F
