Teng keys UST's 2nd win; Adamson dugout ransacked

MANILA, Philippines – The UST Growling Tigers survived a gritty stand by the host Adamson Falcons before hacking out a 67-62 victory on Saturday to grab their second win in the UAAP Season 76 men’s basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Falcons rallied from a 10-point deficit inside the final two minutes with three straight triples but Jeric Teng came to the Tigers’ rescue with a split at the line and the dagger jumper.

Teng scored all but two of his total 15 points in the second half to help the Tigers keep the Falcons in check.

It was a double whammy for the Falcons as their dug-out inside the Big Dome was ransacked with several of their players losing valuables (cash and iPhones). It was not the first time that a theft incident marred the UAAP games in the Big Dome. Last year, Josh Albelda, a photographer of the ABS CBN Sports, lost his laptop to thieves inside the press room while the other media men were busy covering the games. 

UAAP, Adamson and the Smart Araneta officials are already investigating the matter as of this posting.

The Falcons went on to a blistering start leading the Tigers, 15-6, in the early moments of the opening quarter behind their import Ingrid Sewa.

The Tigers, however, regrouped and started to chip away the Falcons’lead leaning on a 7-0 run anchored by the trio of Clark Bautista, Aljon Mariano and Kevin Ferrer to come within two, 13-15.

Adamson went to Sewa again the second canto as the Falcons sat on a 34-26 cushion at the half.

Silent in the first half, Teng came alive in the second half with his basket off a steal capping off a roaring 14-0 run as the Tigers stole the lead, 43-41, for good. 

Teng would again star in the pivotal fourth quarter when his banked shot opened up a huge 12-point lead, 55-43, for the Tigers with 6:56 left. 

Kevin Ferrer topscored for the Tigers with 17 points while Jericho Cruz, who lost his Php5,000 cash and his iPhone in the dug-out heist, led the Falcons with 15 points.