The Varsitarian

Bouncing back from a loss, the Growling Tigers preyed on the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in an 87-81 overtime thriller at the Araneta Coliseum on Thursday.

Jeric Fortuna top-scored for UST with a career-high 29 points, with an 80 percent success rate in the rainbow country, helped overcome the Fighting Maroons’ tight defense. Aljon Mariano, Clark Bautista and Jeric Teng’s flurry of three-pointers paved way for the Tigers’ comeback during the last two quarters.

Mariano exploded in the third quarter, chipping in two shots from beyond the arc, giving UST the lead in the third-quarter, 57-56. Woody Co’s lay-up gave the Maroons a one-point lead.

Split charity shots from Teng in the fourth quarter, via a foul from UP’s Magi Sison, earned UST an opportunity for an overtime.

A four-point play from Fortuna in the overtime, gave the lead to UST, 73-71, with barely four minutes in the clock. Antonio Ramon H. Royandoyan