AFTER ALMOST a decade, the UST Growling Tigers finally broke their 16-game dry spell against the DLSU Green Archers, 93-84, to notch another statement win in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday, Sept. 27.
UST unleashed a 21-10 rally in the final frame to deal last season’s finalists their first loss of the season at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Nigerian big man Akowe Collins powered the Tigers with a 20-point, 19-rebound double-double performance.
“It’s all in the mind… Right now, I have a fever but no excuses,” Akowe told The Flame, following a slow first-half showing.
With the win, the Tigers rose to 2-0 in the standings, while the Green Archers slipped to 1-1.
The Tigers started off slow as DLSU’s Jacob Cortez buried back-to-back baskets to put the Archers ahead early, 8-2.
UST, however, found its rhythm and strung together a 7-0 blitz to briefly seize the lead, 9-8. DLSU quickly countered with big man Mike Phillips, who asserted himself inside to restore control, 16-9.
The España squad’s cold shooting persisted as Luis Pablo converted inside to close the opening quarter with the Taft-based team on top, 27-22.
In the second salvo, DLSU maintained its surge with Earl Abadam and Phillips pushing the lead to nine, 31-22. Co-captains Nic Cabañero and Forthsky Padrigao then helped bring UST within two, 47-45.
Akowe gave the Tigers a late and-1, but a midrange jumper from Archer Gian Gomez kept his team ahead at halftime, 49-45.
The Tigers found themselves buried by as much as 12 at the start of the second half after DLSU’s Mason Amos and Abadam drained four-straight triples, 70-58.
But Cabañero anchored his squad back with a 16-4 counter run, delivering a putback to pull UST within two heading into the final minutes, 74-72.
Looking to steal the momentum, the Tigers seized control after a 14-4 burst to claim their first victory against the Archers since Season 82.
Cabañero erupted for 27 points to lead the Tigers’ offense. Meanwhile, Padrigao and Paranda added 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
On the Taft side, Cortez led the scoring with 17 points, followed by Abadam with 11.
The Tigers will look to remain unblemished when they face the NU Bulldogs on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena. F
