UAAP: Concepcion powers UST past La Salle for 3x3 crown
The UST Growling Tigers completed a comeback against La Salle to rule the UAAP Season 84 men's 3x3 tournament. UAAP Media.
CALATAGAN, Batangas — (UPDATED) Sherwin Concepcion waxed hot from long range to power University of Santo Tomas (UST) past De La Salle University in the gold medal game of the UAAP Season 84 men's 3x3 tournament here.
The Growling Tigers had to recover from a slow start that saw La Salle score the first seven points of the game, and snatched a 21-20 victory on the heroics of their veteran big man.
Concepcion scored 12 points, making half of his 12 attempts from long range. His two-pointer with 2:15 left on the clock completed UST's comeback, Friday at the Crusoe CaSoBe Resort in Calatagan.
"Habang may oras, laban lang," said the 25-year-old Concepcion, a recent addition to the Gilas Pilipinas pool. "Tapos, tiwala naman sa akin 'yung mga teammates ko. 'Pag may kumpyansa naman tumira, titira. Buti, pumasok lang."
It was a hard-earned win for the Growling Tigers who fell behind 0-7 after big shots from La Salle's Spencer Lim and Benjamin Phillips. They trailed by as much as nine points, 3-12, off a two-pointer by Ralph Cu.
But Concepcion began to find his range, hitting back-to-back two-pointers to make it a five-point game, 14-9. An Emman Galman layup briefly gave La Salle some breathing room, 15-9, but Concepcion again hit two straight shots from long range to make it a one-possession game, 15-13.
Phillips put La Salle on the brink with a two-pointer that made it 20-17, but Dom Cabanero answered with a long-range shot of his own to keep UST alive. The Tigers forced a stop in La Salle's next possession then put the ball in Concepcion's hands at the end of the game, and the big man did not disappoint.
"'Yung una namin, medyo nag-relax lang kami," Concepcion said. "Tapos ayun, sinabihan ko 'yung mga teammates ko na hindi pa tapos 'yung laban. Lalaban kami hanggang dulo."
Concepcion got the well-deserved MVP trophy for the 3x3 competition, after leading UST to its first men's basketball title since the Growling Tigers won the 5-on-5 title in 2006.
Cabanero had four points, Bryan Santos added three, and Royce Mantua scored two points.
Galman and Phillips had six points each for La Salle, while Cu scored five and Spencer Lim finished with three points.
The Growling Tigers clobbered the University of the Philippines, 21-12, in the semifinals, while La Salle advanced after outlasting National University, 19-17, in their own semis.
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