THE UST Growling Tigers’ late rally came up short after the DLSU Green Archers held their ground, 86-77, in Round 2 of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Missed free throws drained much of the Tigers’ momentum to claw back, as they managed to go only 4-of-14 for their second straight loss.
Collins Akowe delivered a valiant 20-point, 14-rebound performance, while Gelo Crisostomo and Mark Llemit added 15 and 13 markers, respectively.
UST struggled early against DLSU’s pesky 2-3 zone, trailing 24-17 after the opening quarter.
The Taft-based squad then turned up the pressure in the second frame, unloading a 20-6 barrage to build a 52-30 halftime lead.
UST co-captains Nic Cabañero and Forthsky Padrigao were limited to just five combined points in the first half as the Tigers searched for rhythm.
The España squad found life in the third quarter, launching a 12-5 run behind Cabañero and Akowe’s timely baskets, to cut their deficit to 57-48.
But the Archers quickly regained control, restoring a double-digit lead heading into the final frame, 63-51.
Crisostomo sparked UST’s late rally with back-to-back triples, scoring eight of his total points to bring his team within six, 76-70, with three minutes left.
However, DLSU’s EJ Gollena silenced the surge with consecutive treys of his own putting the game away for the Archers.
JC Macalalag led DLSU with 18 points and four rebounds, while Jacob Cortez chipped in 12 points and four assists.
The Tigers will look to return to the win column against the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the same venue.
UST, DLSU and UP now share identical 5-3 win–loss records for a three-way tie in the second spot. F
