UP’s Desiderio buries game winning three over UST

(Paul Desiderio celebrates his game-winning triple with Jarrell Lim and Noah Webb. Photo by Josh Albelda/Rappler)

Fighting Maroon Paul Desiderio stunned the whole arena by burying a triple with 1.1 ticks left to beat University of Santo Tomas, 74-73, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball tournament on Sunday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.

UST team captain Marvin Lee made two free throws with 6 seconds left to give the Tigers the lead, 73-71, before Desiderio’s cold-blooded shot.

The fourth quarter started at square one, 57-all after the Tigers leaned on Steve Akomo to come back from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter.

It was a game of runs as the University of the Philippines (UP) battled back from an eight-point deficit in the first quarter, 11-19.

“Atin ‘to. Papasok ‘to,” Desiderio said to his teammates in the timeout, prior to his game-winning bucket.

Paul Desiderio led the Fighting Maroons with 17 points on a 6-20 clip. He only made two out of his 11 three-point shots, but he delivered when it matters the most.

The Growling Tigers top scorers are Marvin Lee and Steve Akomo with 20 and 15 points, respectively.

UP will next face the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. UST will try to avenge this loss on Saturday against the AdU Soaring Falcons at the Big Dome.

N. PEREZ