UST looks to finish off UAAP champs Ateneo

Games today:

The Arena

2 p.m. – San Beda vs. FEU (Jrs.)

4 p.m. – UST vs. Ateneo

THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers try to annex their first-ever championship in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) as they look to finish off the Ateneo Blue Eagles in Game Two of the best-of-three Finals series today at the Arena in San Juan City.

The Tigers served revenge on a platter to the Eagles in Game One as they played inspired basketball to come from behind and defeat Ateneo, 82-76, to take a 1-0 series lead.

Even without fiery head coach Pido Jarencio, who was out with the measles, UST took care of business as they caught fire in crunchtime, scoring eight straight points to come within a win away from exacting vengeance upon the boys in blue and white.

Ateneo defeated UST for the UAAP crown, its fifth in a row, several months ago, in a hard-fought two-game series sweep.

The Tigers actually were behind by three, 70-73, when they unleashed eight straight points that was capped off by a lay-in by Kevin Ferrer with 20.9 left on the clock, which game them a 78-73 lead.

Ateneo tried to come back after a trey by Ryan Buenafe but Jeric Teng and Aljon Mariano calmly sank their free throws to secure the win for UST.

Ferrer, a sophomore who has quietly come into his own, led the Tigers with 18 poitns while big man Karim Abdul and Teng, each had 12. The frontcourt combo of Mariano and Melo Afuang combined for 21 markers.

Meanwhile, as an added treat, the two high school champions of the UAAP and the NCAA clash in an exhibition game at 2 p.m. as the Jerie Pingoy-led Far Eastern University face off against the San Beda Red Cubs.

The two teams recently met in the quarterfinals of the 1st Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championships with the Red Cubs winning via a buzzer-beating jumper by former Ateneo de Cebu standout Adven Jess Diputado./Correspondent Jonas Panerio