Tiger Cubs break away late against UE, notches fourth win
By Ernest Martin Tuazon
The UST Tiger Cubs (4–5) utilized a fourth-quarter blast to complete an elimination sweep against the UE Junior Red Warriors (1–8) in the second round of the UAAP Season 85 high school boys basketball tournament, 68–54, Sunday afternoon, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Once trailing by two points at the end of the third period, Tiger Cubs JP Pangilinan, Mark Llemit, and Carl Manding showed the way in the payoff period to hold UE to eight points compared to UST’s 24.
The Tiger Cubs thrashed the Junior Red Warriors late with a 15–2 run to open the fourth salvo, ending with a breakaway layup by bench spark plug Manding to extend the University’s lead to 11, 59–48.
“May mga players talaga na ready ‘eh… May bunot na magbibigay ng spark kaya si Manding, ang ganda ng linaro niya sa fourth quarter,” said head coach Jinino Manansala about Manding who posted 11 points, six rebounds, and a pair of assists and steals, respectively.
After taking an eight-point lead in the opening salvo, the Tiger Cubs saw this lead erased courtesy of a 14–3 run led by UE’s Vhon Roldan and Drei Gragasin who lifted the Recto-based squad to a five-point cushion at one point.
UST’s defense paid dividends after being able to hold the Junior Red Warriors to nine points in the first frame, then eight points in the final quarter to complete a 2–0 sweep against UE.
Llemit lifted the Tiger Cubs to its fourth win with another double-double performance of 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three steals, complemented by Pangilinan’s 14 markers.
The University looks to bolster its final four chances as they clash against the third-seeded FEU Baby Tamaraws (7–2) on Wednesday morning at the same venue.
