SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – After incurring an injury to his left knee, Jeric Teng finally rose from the doldrums, powering the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to a pulsating 83-79 win over Adamson University in the 75th UAAP men’s basketball tournament Saturday, September 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Teng fired 22 points, 4 of them in a crucial stretch late in the game, as the Growling Tigers scored yet another come-from-behind win, frustrating the Soaring Falcons once more.
The 6’2″ guard drained 5 three-pointers and grabbed 6 rebounds while Karim Abdul had 19 points, 9 boards and 3 blocks. Aljon Mariano added 16 markers, 12 rebounds and 4 assists to help the Espana-based squad win their 8th game in 11 outings, grabbing solo second in the tournament.
“It’s all about the breaks of the game,” said a relieved coach Pido Jarencio. “At the end of the game, napunta sa amin ang (we got the) momentum.”
With rookie Jericho Cruz playing the game of his life, Adamson maintained control for most of the game before folding again when it mattered most.
Cruz scored 13 points in around 3 minutes in the second quarter, propelling the Falcons to a 42-36 lead at half time.
The transferee from Rizal Technological University continued his onslaught in the third period and was actually on track to beat the season-high for points before getting silenced in the final canto.
Cruz went on to finish with 33 points and eight rebounds but earned the ire of the thousands of UST fans at the venue for taunting them.
And unfortunately for Cruz, it was the Tigers and their faithful who had the last laugh.
With UST holding a precarious 82-79 lead, Cruz turned the ball over and inexplicably fouled Clark Bautista with 17.3 seconds remaining.
Bautista split his charities and Adamson failed to convert on the offensive end as UST strengthened its bid for one of the top two slots offering twice-to-beat incentives in the Final Four.
Jansen Rios exploded for 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter while Allen Etrone chipped in with 11 markers.
Kevin Ferrer committed two unsportsmanlike fouls and is in danger of getting suspended for their next game against University of the Philippines.
“Kung ano ‘yong tawag ng referee, ‘yon ‘yon,” Jarencio added. “Hindi tayo pwede magturo.” -Rappler.com
UST, 83: Teng 22, Abdul 19, Mariano 16, Bautista 11, Ferrer 8, Fortuna 7, Vigil 0, Pe 0, Lo 0, Afuang 0
ADU, 79: Cruz 33, Rios 12, Etrone 11, Trollano 7, Camson 5, Cabrera 5, Brondial 5, Agustin 1, Monteclaro 0, Abrigo 0
Quarter scoring: 16-16, 36-42, 61-58, 83-79
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