The UST Growling Tigers make a strong impression to open their UAAP Season 87 campaign.
The UST Growling Tigers began UAAP Season 87 on a positive note as they quickly nabbed their first win of the tournament at the expense of the UE Red Warriors, 70-55, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, September 8.
A revamped Tigers squad flanked by new faces Mo Tounkara and Forthsky Padrigao jumped the gun on the Red Warriors, quickly taking a double-digit at the end of the opening canto, 18-8.
But it was key holdover Christian Manaytay that powered the Growling Tigers in the first half, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field en route to a dominant 36-19 advantage at the break.
Though UST’s largest lead of the game came late in the fourth quarter, the Red Warriors actually tried to stage a fight back in the third, getting closer to the Tigers with a 10-1 run capped by an Ethan Galang free throw, 35-46, with 1:15 remaining in the period.
Fortunately for the España cagers, veteran winger Nic Cabañero picked up his scoring in the endgame as they pushed the lead back to 22 in the last two minutes.
Cabañero scored inside the paint to make it 68-46 for UST with 1:58 left on the clock.
UST head coach Pido Jarencio lauded his players for the total team effort, as three Tigers finished in double-digit scoring, with Player of the Game Tounkara going for 13 points in a solid effort.
“[The] players want to win. They’re sharing the ball. They played as a group. Importante ito kasi team ko na ito eh.” said Jarencio after the victory.
“Matagal ‘yung preparations namin for this. We’re ready. Mahabang season to pero for sure. With the coaches we have. We’ll be ready.” he added.
Cabañero finished with a team-high 14 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, and one block.
Tounkara also supplemented his 13-point performance with four boards, one assist, and two steals. Newcomer Padrigao had an all-around game of five points, six rebounds, and seven assists in his first UAAP game as a Growling Tiger.
Early game spark Manaytay had 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting.
UST hopes to build on the momentum of this resounding win when the Tigers face a Season 86 Final Four team in Ateneo on Wednesday, September 11, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.