Fighting Maroons keep the Growling Tigers reeling for UAAP lead

ANTIPOLO (Updated 4:49 p.m.) — The UP Fighting Maroons finally took a convincing win with a blowout against the UST Growling Tigers to end their first round campaign at the UAAP Season 85 men's basketball tournament, 76-51, at Ynares Center here on Saturday.

UP tallies their third win in a row and finishes the first round at 6-1. They currently hold the lead in the standings as NU, who can overtake them, have yet to play for the weekend.

The Bulldogs play the FEU Tamaraws on Sunday.

A 19-8 start to the opening salvo saw the defending champions in complete control, even as UST foreign student-athlete Adama Faye returned from his one game suspension.

It was in the third salvo where UP looked to pull away with a 19-5 start as they tallied their biggest lead at 28, 57-29, off of a Terrence Fortea triple with 3:43 remaning in the salvo.

But the Tigers would not be denied without a fight as they uncorked their own 20-3 scoring run through midway into the fourth salvo punctuated by back-to-back Nic Cabañero threes.

UST was within 11, 49-60, with 5:55 left in the game.

A final 13-0 run by the Maroons, though, would banish any hope of completing the comeback as Zavier Lucero hit a triple to push the lead back to 24, 73-49, with about three minutes remaining.

Carl Tamayo, who played sparingly as he nurses an injury, contributed largely to the run with five points in the pivotal scoring burst.

The win marks the biggest margin of victory for the Maroons this season at 25 after multiple close shaves to begin their title retention bid.

UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde said a strong start was the key to the momentum building win.

"From our first game, definitely 'yung last game namin today, we really improved a lot on how we start the game. I think we just have to work on 'yung consistency namin, on how we start." Monteverde said after the game.

Player of the Game Zavier Lucero finished with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks in an all-around performance for the Maroons.

Fortea topped the scoring column with 14 markers on three triples. He also has three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Tamayo chipped in nine points in nine minutes off of the bench.

Faye paced UST in the loss with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Cabañero added 14 markers in the losing effort.

UST, meanwhile, absorbed their 6th straight loss as they fall to 1-6 for the season.

The Scores:

UP 76 -- Fortea 14, Lucero 12, Abadiano 9, Tamayo 9, Andrews 7, Alarcon 5, Diouf 4, Spencer 3, Ramos 3, Eusebio 3, Lina 2, Calimag 2, Galinato 2, Gonzales 1, Torculas 0
UST 51 -- Faye 15, Cabanero 14, Lazarte 5, Calimag 5, Duremdes 3, Mantua 3, Manalang 2, Magdangal 2, Escobido 2, Pangilinan 0, Manaytay 0, Garing 0, Herrera 0, Gesalem 0.

Quarters: 19-8, 38-24, 58-37, 76-51.