San Juan: University of Santo Tomas relied on its seasoned players to escape with an 89-85 win over National University Nazareth School Thursday, and force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the UAAP Season 87 boys’ basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
According to Philippines News Agency, skipper Koji Buenaflor sealed UST’s victory with two free throws. He finished with 24 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Charles Esteban contributed 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Carl Manding added 15 points as the Tiger Cubs took a 72-61 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Bullpups mounted a comeback led by Nigerian center Collins Akowe, Carl Alfanta, Miguel Palanca, and Mot Matias, closing the gap to 77-78 with 5:21 remaining in the fourth period. Manding and Esteban responded with back-to-back triples, extending UST’s lead to 87-77 with 2:35 on the clock.
NUNS narrowed the deficit to 85-87 on Alfanta’s three-pointer with 21 seconds left, but that was their final push. The decisive Game 3 is scheduled for March 27 at 12 p.m. at the same San Juan venue. UST last claimed the title in Season 64 (2001).
UST head coach Manu I±igo praised his team’s resilience, stating, “Credit to the boys, it was clear that they didn’t panic even though they were stuck, they stayed composed. They trusted each other, they played defense well in the end, they really worked hard to keep our championship aspirations alive.”
Co-captain Kirk Canete added 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Charles Bucsit contributed nine points, four rebounds, and two assists. Senegalese forward Racine Kane finished with five points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Playing in his final year with the Tiger Cubs, Buenaflor reflected on his performance, saying, “My performance paid off because I embraced my role on the team. As a team captain, I should really be the one to step up there because I’m the most senior. I just did what the coach told me and they gave me the confidence that no matter how many times you miss, I’ll just keep going.”
For NUNS, Akowe, the Best Foreign Student Athlete awardee, delivered 28 points, 26 rebounds, three blocks, and two assists. Alfanta contributed 17 points, five assists, three rebounds, and one steal, while Palanca added 15 points, seven rebounds, and one assist.
