For one night in Katipunan, the returning Forthsky Padrigao and his UST Growling Tigers harnessed every ounce of grit and heart to outlast Ateneo in a wild triple-overtime UAAP Season 88 showdown.
It was a night of drama, endurance, and sheer willpower for the UST Growling Tigers—and a triumphant homecoming for Forthsky Padrigao.
Returning to a familiar place, Padrigao stepped up in a big way to guide the Growling Tigers to a gritty 98–89 triple-overtime victory over the Ateneo Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball on Saturday, October 11, at the Blue Eagle Gym.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: Defiant UST survives Ateneo in 3OT thriller, grabs share of Season 88 lead]
After a quiet first half, Padrigao found his groove and scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half and first overtime in a solid showing against his former team.
“Just happy that the team showed heart kanina. Talagang paguran ‘yung game, and all we needed to do was work hard, show our grit—and it paid off ‘nung dulo,” the UST guard said.
In the first triple-overtime game of the Final Four era, the Espana-based squad unleashed a pivotal 13–2 run in the third overtime, seizing a 98–87 lead and holding on to secure their fourth win in five games.
Nic Cabanero atoned for his second-overtime blunder behind a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Rookie Collins Akowe also dominated and ended up with 20 points, 19 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in nearly 52 minutes of play.
Gelo Crisostomo also came up with his best performance yet with 18 markers and 17 boards.
“Triple overtime, throw away the numbers. It was all heart for both teams. Both sides were battling fatigue and cramps, but no one wanted to go out. It came down to the final stretch, and we made more shots,” UST assistant coach Juno Sauler bared.
The force is with Forthsky, UST
Despite a slow start, Padrigao would not let the opportunity of playing spoiler for the Blue Eagles' in their "home turf."
[Forthsky Padrigao shoots over Waki Espina as UST survives Ateneo in a triple-overtime classic | Photo: The UAAP]
He sank the game-tying trey with 39.9 seconds left in regulation, and hit another clutch three in the first overtime, keeping the Growling Tigers alive before his teammates shouldered the rest.
For Padrigao, the drama of his homecoming didn’t matter as he simply played his role to perfection.
“I just needed to do my job for the team. Wala naman akong special na ginawa or inisip heading to the game. Nothing personal—I just wanted to treat it like a normal game,” he said.
With the hard-fought victory, UST improved to 4–1, sharing the top spot with the NU Bulldogs, and will look to extend their streak with a third consecutive win against the FEU Tamaraws.
The win lifted UST to 4–1, sharing the top spot with NU Bulldogs, as the Growling Tigers now set their sights on a third straight victory against FEU Tamaraws.
Meanwhile, Jared Bahay topscored Ateneo with 17 points, as Kymani Ladi’s 14 points and Dom Escobar’s 13 points and 20 rebounds.
Playing in front of their home crowd, the Blue Eagles instead dropped to 4–2 and will clash with NU in their final opening-round matchup on October 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
—
Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.