THE UNBEATEN UST Growling Tigers captured the Asiabasket NSAC College Basketball Campus Tour title after outclassing the NU Bulldogs in the finals, 95-84, on Sunday, May 31, at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym.
Trailing after an NU-dominated first half, UST unleashed a 33-point third-quarter barrage to turn the tide and finish the tournament with a spotless 6-0 record.
Taking home the Finals MVP award was veteran guard Mark Llemit, who steered the Tigers to the crown with 27 points and seven boards off the bench.
“We huddled up for the second half because we had too many lapses in the first half and thankfully, we managed to turn things around,” Llemit told The Flame.
“We were just so incredibly driven to finish this tournament on a high note since we started it so well,” he added.
NU opened the match with a 28-21 advantage, as Reinhard Jumamoy and Carl Alfanta combined for 16 markers.
The Jhocson-based squad maintained its lead in the second salvo, but baskets from Llemit and Koji Buenaflor trimmed UST’s deficit before halftime, 52-45.
Collins Akowe’s floater ignited UST’s momentum-shifting third frame, with Gelo Crisostomo and Llemit dropping for 18 points combined. Amiel Acido’s triple capped off the 12-5 Tigers run, 78-67.
Back-to-back baskets from Mohamed Dissiana cut the Bulldogs’ deficit to 84-80 in the fourth frame, but the Tigers stayed in control behind Llemit’s heroics to seal the title.
Acido added 19 markers, while Akowe chipped in a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double for UST.
Meanwhile, Jumamoy and Alfanta finished with 29 markers combined to pace NU in the loss.
Earlier, Crisostomo was named to the NSAC All-Tournament Team after averaging 12.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and two steals. He is joined by NU’s Dissiana, San Beda’s Daniel Marcelo, along with DLSU’s Mason Amos and NSAC MVP Jacob Cortez.
“I was actually quite surprised because they only told me at the last minute; I really was not expecting it at all,” Crisostomo told The Flame after receiving the nod. F
