Warriors escape Tigers’ rampage

*Sorry for the late post. This is supposed to be posted last July 5.
Anyway, as a tradition for this blog.. UAAP games of UST will
be posted in here, with pictures!** (.^__^.)

Warriors escape Tigers’ rampage

Off to another sweep?

The University of the East (UE) Red Warriors survived the persistent claws of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers with a 78-73 routing as they opened their UAAP campaign on a high note ready for a possible repeat of its UAAP Season 70 sweep as the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 71 kicked off at the Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City on July 5.

Both teams started hot as the opening quarter saw a magnificent exchange of baskets between the Recto-based squad and the España-based cagers.
Stepping up for the Warriors, James Martinez fired an early shot beyond the arc with 7:40 on the regulation bringing UE to a three-point advantage 7-4.

Meanwhile, last season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jervy Cruz brought UST their momentum with his three-point play attempt that put the Tigers closer to the Warriors 13-12. Dylan Ababou quickly followed with a three-pointer that finally propelled UST on top 13-15.

The rest of the quarter remained tight with a free-throw from Jervy Cruz allowing the Tigers to close the first frame on top 26-24.
The second frame was a totally different story as the Warriors finally found their rhythm slowly pulling away from the Tigers.

Cruz’s offensive rally was no match to the surge of the Recto-based squad’s Hans Thiele as his jumper placed UE with a two-point margin 34-32 with 6:45 remaining.
Thiele’s court domination continued helping expanding the Warriors’ advantage to 9, with less-than 30 ticks remaining.

Rudy Lingganay’s basket finally closed the second for the Red Warriors, 50-39.

UE’s power was unstoppable towards the third, with Marcy Arellano delivering the goods keeping the Warriors’ double-digit advantage intact 57-47 despite Chester Taylor’s successive spurs for UST.

Following the ejection of the Warriors’ playmaker, Paul Lee out of a technical foul, UST attempted a comeback courtesy of the charities of Cruz and Japs Cuan sealing the third, 64-58 with UE protecting their lead.

Cruz was incessant in the fourth determined to regain UST’s game as he launched an aggressive which placed UE within two-point reach, 68-66 with 4:14 ticks left.
Meanwhile, Warrior top-scorer Elmer Espiritu, with 15 points and 9 rebounds, prevented any more spills for UE, 76-69.

Cruz made a last-ditch effort to cut the lead of the Warriors but to no avail as Lingganay’s free throw sealed the deal for UE, 73-78. Cruz led UST’s campaign exploding with a whopping, 26 points and 22 rebounds followed by Dylan Ababou with 15 marks and 5 rebbies.

UE head coach Dindo Pumaren admitted his squad lost a lot of key players with the likes of Mark Borboran and Kelvin Gregorio.
In spite of this, UE has maintained its poise and managed to escape the challenge of the Growling Tigers.
He credited his boys’ defense and was very happy for the performance of his prized rookie John Noble, from the Letran Squires.