BY MILES ARCENAL
AFTER the buzzer sounded and amidst the UP chants roaring, only one voice stood out at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Mga wala kayong puso,” UST head coach Pido Jarencio said as he walked out of the huddle and headed straight to the dugout.
It was a stinging statement that summed up another painful collapse for the University of Santo Tomas - a game that slipped away through their trembling hands.
READ: Alarcon wills UP to vengeful triumph over UST
The Growling Tigers led by as many as 15 points before falling to the University of the Philippines, 89-88, their fourth straight loss in the UAAP Season 88 after a promising start.
They had the defending champions on the ropes. They drew fouls, dictated the pace, and had every chance to seal the win.
But when it came down to the easiest shot in basketball, they faltered.
UST earned 52 trips to the line - an advantage that should’ve spelled victory.
Instead, it exposed their undoing. The Tigers converted only 28, a dismal 53.8 percent, missing 24 free throws that could have rewritten the ending.
Collins Akowe stood tall once again with 26 points and 16 rebounds, but even his 10-of-20 performance from the stripe mirrored the team’s struggles.
Following their 96-97 overtime collapse against Adamson a week ago - one where they squandered an eight-point lead with less than 40 seconds left - the Tigers once again faced the same test of composure and character.
Now, as the Final Four race tightens, the black-and-gold find themselves in yet another dilemma that demands more than adjustments, it needs resolve.
The numbers will fade, but Jarencio’s words won’t.
Maybe the answers lie not in the box scores, but in the next practice where UST must learn to shoot with focus, and play with heart once more.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
