Eagles shocker fuels Tigers fiery comeback

University of Santo Tomas, a team crippled by injuries and various illnesses, should have been at the bottom of the 69th UAAP men’s basketball standing.

Instead, the Tigers found themselves in the thick of things, having bucked manpower shortage with grit and determination to string together three straight victories, including a shock 88-80 overtime win over the erstwhile unbeaten Ateneo Eagles Sunday.

Suddenly, the Tigers, who last won a UAAP crown exactly a decade ago, are back on the prowl.

The streak has firmed up UST’s Final Four bid as it grabbed solo third place with a 5-5 (win-loss) slate.

More importantly, the Tigers proved that they are a force to reckon with despite their depleted lineup.

"It’s still too early to tell," said UST manager Clarence Aytona. "But at least, we showed that we’re a team that can compete with anyone."

Credit that to coach Pido Jarencio, whose style of motivation and brand of play have turned things around for the Tigers, transforming a rag-tag crew into one fighting unit.

The Espana-based dribblers are playing sans their best men — Jemal Vizcarra, Jojo Duncil, Anthony Espiritu and Jun Cortez — who are either recovering from various injuries or ailments.

Vizcarra, UST’s main man this year, sustained a hamstring injury as early as their first game, while Duncil, the team’s leading scorer, already missed two games due to typhoid fever. — Joey Villar