Growling Tigers silence critics with Final 4 feat

University of Santo Tomas, hardly given a second look at the start of the UAAP Season 69, now finds itself in the spotlight.

Sustaining their big run at the close of the second round elims, the Tigers stunned the No. 2 seed University of the East Warriors, 79-75, Sunday to force a sudden death for the right to face the Ateneo Eagles for this year’s UAAP men’s basketball crown.

"We weren’t even mentioned by the so-called experts in their pre-season prediction," said UST coach Pido Jarencio in Filipino. "But look at us now, I guess we’ve overachieved."

What separates UST from the other unfancied teams is its ability to draw big games from unlikely players on any occasion.

Jun Cortez and Mark Canlas, for one, never made an impact on the team’s past games but stepped up when it mattered most to help lift the Tigers past the Warriors in a game they could not afford to lose.

"We’re just lucky to have different players stepping up each game," said Jarencio.

Credit that to Jarencio, who has instilled the never-say-die attitude of his Barangay Ginebra days to his gritty wards.

"He made the players believe that we have the potential to win, his attitude has rubbed off on the players," said UST manager Clarence Aytona.

The Tigers made the Final Four for the first time in four years.

If they beat UE again on Thursday, it will snap an eight-year wait for a championship stint. And if they make it all the way, they will put an end to a decade-long title drought. — Joey Villar