Forthsky Padrigao played his best game yet for the UST and helped the Growling Tigers notched win number four in UAAP Season 87. It's their best record since Season 82.
Growling back to the winning column are and Forthsky Padrigao and UST.
Padrigao tallied a double-double and anchored every Growling Tigers' response to the FEU Tamaraws' uprising for a wire-to-wire 83-72 win, ending their UAAP Season 87 round one campaign on a high at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Saturday, October 5.
The catquick guard had 14 points and 11 assists while also collecting for rebounds to earn the Player of the Game honors as UST finally snapped their two-game skid.
Mo Tounkara added a monster 21-point,17-rebound double-double for the Growling Tigers, who improved a 4-3 win-loss slate and solo fourth in the team standings behind league leaders UP, defending champion DLSU, and UE.
This is UST's best record so far since Season 82, when they finished with an 8-6 record.
FEU actually cut the lead to five points, 70-75, with less than a minute left in regulation only for UST to counter with a quick 6-0 blitz after a timeout capped off by a Padrigao-Tounkara connection to restore order anew at 81-70.
Earlier, the Growling Tigers built an early 12-point lead in the first half but the Tamaraws clawed back to things up at 38-apiece after a Jedrick Daa drive with 8:21 second left in the third canto.
Padrigao and Tounkara connived to spark a 10-2 Growling Tigers response, padding the Growling Tigers’ advantage back to twin digits at 50-40 midway through the frame.
Meanwhile, Jorick Bautista paced FEU with a team-high 17 points as they who failed to capitalize after their breakthrough overtime win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their last outing.
The Tamaraws ended the opening-round play with a 1-6 win-loss slate.