UST begins round 2 of UAAP eliminations by defeating FEU

The score ended 78-70, with the Tigers now standing with a 4-4 record and the Tamaraws at 5-3. (Photo: UST Growling Tigers/Facebook)

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers received their latest win against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws during the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball games that occurred last Sunday, October 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena. The score ended 78-70, with the Tigers now standing with a 4-4 record and the Tamaraws at 5-3.

Zach Wang was UST’s highest pointer, scoring a total of 20, while he was followed by Marvin Lee at 17 points and Renzo Subido at 14 points. FEU was led by Richard Escoto, who had a total of 12 points and Arvin Tolentino, with 11 points. Rookie CJ Cansino also contributed five points and twelve rebounds.

In the words of UST head coach Aldin Ayo, “We played well again. The game of the kids came out in this one and we’re happy with the win. There is still a long way to go. We are not going to be satisfied with these wins.” 

Growling Tiger Renzo Subido was the star of the first quarter, as the two teams went back and forth until his late charge ended the ten minutes with a 23-19 lead for UST. They continued that performance until the second quarter, outscoring the Tamaraws 6-0. Before the halftime mark, Alex Stockton tried to answer back with four points, ending the first half at 37-33 in favor of UST.

Immediately as the third quarter began, Tamaraw Richard Escoto tied up the score at 37-all, but UST fired back with a 7-0 blast. At the end of the third quarter, anticipation built as the score finished at 49-all.

The most notable performance came during the fourth quarter, with veteran guard Marvin Lee giving his alma mater UST a 55-51 lead with a minute and a half left coming into the fourth. That encouraged teammates Renzo Subido and Germy Mahinay to level up the score to 63-54 for the last five minutes of the game. That then turned to 65-54 in the last four minutes and the UST growling tigers just held on to eventually catch the win.

With 15.9 seconds left in the game, the Tamaraws ended on a low note as Arvin Tolentino got ejected for hitting Zach Huang in the face. Due to the disqualifying foul, the forward will not be able to play during FEU’s next game against Ateneo de Manila.

Coach Ayo expressed his appreciation for his players “lack of resistance” during the game, sharing, “It’s so easy to coach these guys because they’re so connected, whatever you tell them to do they will.” However, he is convicted in keeping in mind that “there is still a long way to go,” stating, “We are not going to be satisfied with these wins” referring to their winning streak.