Tigers finally pull one over Archers

For 17 consecutive games in eight years, University of Santo Tomas never won a single game against La Salle. It ended there.

The Tigers went to rookie sensation Khasim Mirza as they pulled off a come-from-behind 81-73 overtime victory over the Archers yesterday in the 70th UAAP basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Mirza, coming off a 25-point effort in their 87-74 win over the Ateneo Eagles last week, came through with another sterling performance to power the defending champions to joint second place with the Taft-based quintet on 5-3 win-loss slates.

The last time the España-based school beat La Salle was in Game 1 of their 1999 title showdown eventually won by the Archers.

“I’m thankful that we never gave up, God answered our prayers,” said UST coach Pido Jarencio in Filipino.

Earlier, National U banked on a career effort by Jonathan Jahnke as it walloped State U, 85-66, to boost its Final Four stock.

Jahnke fired his league best 21 points including 13 in the third quarter that powered the Bulldogs to their fourth triumph against the same number of defeats.

The Maroons remained winless in eight starts.

Credit UST’s miraculous comeback to Mirza.

Mirza, a wiry 6-foot-4 wingman out of World Citi College, fired a clutch trey late in regulation play and had an eight-point splurge in overtime.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Archers as they had started celebrating when they led by 12 points on a putback by Indonesian neophyte Ferdinand with 1:57 left in regulation.

It turned out a premature celebration as the Tigers showed the heart of a champion in salvaging the game.

Compounding La Salle’s woes was the injury suffered by top scorer JV Casio at endgame. He was brought to the Makati Medical Center after the contest.