Tigers down Pirates, boost bid

MANILA, Philippines - Aljon Mariano and Jeric Teng took over in overtime as UST rallied to beat hard-luck Lyceum, 93-86, and bolster its quarterfinal bid in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

Mariano turned in an explosive 31-point effort while Teng fired an equally impressive 27-point output as the Tigers nailed their fourth win against three losses in Group B to remain in the hunt for a berth in the next round.

UST trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter but battled its way back to grab a one-point lead on a triple by Clark Bautista. But the Pirates fought back and surged ahead again at 75-71 late in the fourth.

The Tigers, however, clamped down on defense to force overtime then Mariano and Teng took charge to steer the last year’s UAAP runners-up to the hard-earned victory.

In the other game, Adamson needed a late blast to overcome a gutsy University of the Philippines, 76-70, and likewise remain in the quarterfinal race.