UAAP Season 82 Men's Basketball: UST-FEU stepladder

UAAP Season 82 Men's Basketball: UST-FEU stepladder

  •  UAAP
 
University of Santo Tomas survived a late rally from Far Eastern University, 81-71, to advance to the UAAP Season 82 Men's Basketball Stepladder Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Soulemane Chabi Yo showed why he's the Season MVP, pouring a career-best 25 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists to steer the Growling Tigers to the next phase.

Brent Paraiso added 18 points on a blazing 5-of-9 shooting from deep, as well as grabbing five boards. But his most crucial bucket was the freebies he buried with 17.0 seconds on the clock that iced the game for UST to set the date against two-seed University of the Philippines on Sunday.

"Nothing comes easy. Walang madali eh," said coach Aldin Ayo. "Right from the start ng season namin, talagang mahirap eh. Itong laro na ito akala namin madali, pero FEU yung kalaban namin eh at hindi basta basta bibigay ito."

The Growling Tigers were on fire to open the game, shooting 6-of-12 from deep as they opened the game on a 15-4 start.

Threes continued to fall as they took a 54-28 halftime lead that swelled to 26, 57-31 early in the third frame.

But that only triggered the Tamaraws to rally, getting to within five, 70-65 with 6:37 on the clock.

With FEU knocking on UST's doors, Renzo Subido and Chabi Yo hit crucial buckets in the endgame, with the senior sniper burying the crucial three to give the Espana side the 78-65 with 1:28 left.

Ken Tuffin's triple cut the lead down to 10, but offense fell flat for the Tamaraws late as Paraiso iced the game for good for the Growling Tigers.

Subido wound up with 14 points, as he shot 4-of-12 from threes. UST as a collective shot 31-percent from deep.

The Growling Tigers now head to Sunday's game against no. 2 University of the Philippines, still at the same venue. The Fighting Maroons will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage in the duel.

Tuffin led FEU with 20 points and five rebounds, as L-Jay Gonzales chimed in 11 points, nine assists, and three boards.

Ino Comboy, Hubert Cani, Barkley Ebona, and Kimlee Bayquin played their final game in FEU.

Ebona saw the end of his collegiate career early after incurring a pair of unsportsmanlike fouls, hitting the showers at the 1:19 mark of the second frame. He got nine points and seven rebounds in the defeat.

The Scores:

UST 81 -- Chabi Yo 25, Paraiso 18, Subido 14, Abando 9, Nonoy 6, Huang 4, Bataller 3, Cansino 2, Ando 0, Concepcion 0, Cuajao 0.

FEU 71 -- Tuffin 20, Gonzales 11, Cani 10, Ebona 9, Comboy 8, Torres 8, Tchuente 5, Alforque 0, Bayquin 0, Bienes 0, Stockton 0.

Quarterscores: 26-16, 54-28, 70-56, 81-71.PR