Nic Cabañero and Jared Bahay. | UAAP media photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuano standouts Nic Cabañero and Jared Bahay suffered tough defeats in their respective games in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament, held on Sunday, September 15, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
Cabañero, who has been a key player for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, couldn’t prevent his team from enduring their first loss of the season.
UST fell 69-56 to Adamson University, which roared back after a previous 30-point blowout loss. The Soaring Falcons turned the table with a searing 17-1 run in the third quarter, leaving the Growling Tigers struggling to keep pace.
READ: Nic Cabañero sparks UST’s huge win vs. Ateneo, snapping 17-Game losing streak
Cabañero led UST with 16 points and five rebounds, but his solo effort wasn’t enough to stave off the Falcons, who capitalized on UST’s poor third-quarter performance.
The Growling Tigers were limited to just six points in the third period, while Adamson scored 19 to seize control of the game.
READ: Nic Cabañero leads UST to victory over UE
Despite Cabañero’s solid performance, UST, which had hoped to extend their winning streak to 3-0 for the first time since 2015, found themselves overwhelmed by Adamson’s relentless defense and timely contributions from key players like Matthew Montebon and Royce Mantua who scored 15 and 11 points, respectively.
ATENEO NOW 0-3
Meanwhile, Jared Bahay, a highly touted rookie for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, had a challenging outing in his first UAAP rivalry game against the De La Salle Green Archers.
READ: Jared Bahay shines in Ateneo’s UAAP Season opener despite loss to UP
Bahay struggled offensively, scoring just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting as Ateneo dropped to an alarming 0-3 start with a 74-61 defeat.
La Salle’s defensive adjustments in the third quarter crippled Bahay and the Blue Eagles, holding them to just four points. The Green Archers, led by reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao, used the third quarter surge to build a commanding lead that Ateneo couldn’t recover.
Bahay, despite showing flashes of his potential with six assists and three steals, admitted that the game didn’t go as planned.
The loss leaves Ateneo searching for their first win in the season, marking their worst start since 2013 under former coach Bo Perasol.
Head coach Tab Baldwin will have his hands full as the Blue Eagles aim to avoid a deeper slump when they face Adamson University next.