Desiderio’s last-second trey powers UP over UST
THE University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons got their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 campaign to a winning start, defeating the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, 7473, yesterday in their tournament debut thanks to veteran Paul Desiderio’s game-winning triple.
Had it slow in the opening quarter, the Diliman-based Maroons cranked things up in the second quarter and held tough thereafter to survive and win by a squeaker.
UP trailed UST early in the match before making a late charge to end the opening canto to keep its deficit to a bare minimum, 19-18.
The Maroons then charged out of the starting gates of the second period, outscoring the Tigers, 14-10, in the first five minutes to overtake the latter, 32-29.
They would build on it thereafter to claim the first half, 42-33.
Rocked in the previous quarter, UST tried to make up for lost ground, going on a 11-5 blast to narrow its deficit, 47-44, at the fiveminute mark of the third frame.
The affair ended knotted at 57all at the end of the third period.
The two teams played tight to begin the fourth period, hardly budging.
UP held a slim one-point lead, 65- 64, with 4: 30 remaining on the clock.
UST raced to 70-68 lead with less than a minute left but two missed free throws by Jeepy Faundo blew UST’s chance to extend its lead.
Paul Desiderio tied the count at 70- all thereafter and a split charity from teammate Noah Webb gave the lead back to UP, 71-70, with 32.6 ticks left.
Faundo knotted the match at 71- all with 18 seconds remaining.
UP had a chance to get the lead off a fast break but missed its chance and forced it to foul UST guard Marvin Lee.
Lee converted his free throws with five seconds remaining to claim the lead, 73-71.
But UP would counter with a triple from Desiderio to recapture the advantage, 74-73, with 1.4 ticks to go, a lead it would not relinquish.
Desiderio led UP with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Chris Vito had nine while Webb and Juan Gomez de Liano had seven points each.
Lee, meanwhile, paced UST with 20 points and Steve Akomo had 15 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out.
“I just shot with confidence when the opportunity was given to me. It was for the win so there was no time to hesitate,” said game hero Desiderio after the game.
“We hope that with this win we stoked the passion of the UP community and that it continues to support us for the season,” UP coach Bo Perasol, for his part, said.