Peter Osang made an impressive first appearance for University of Santo Tomas in a surprise frontcourt switch, powering the Growling Tigers to a 97-70 rout of also-ran University of the East and keeping their push for a UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Final Four berth alive on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Growling Tigers inserted Osang into their lineup for the first time this season, with Season 88 Rookie of the Year and Elite Team member Collins Akowe sitting out. The move paid immediate dividends as UST secured its biggest win of the season, completing a sweep of the Red Warriors with a 27-point victory to go with their 98-87 first-round triumph.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, UST’s biggest victories came against Far Eastern University and Ateneo de Manila University, 81-69 and 80-68, respectively.
The 6-foot-7 Nigerian big man made an immediate impact in his UAAP debut, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and two assists. He also posted a team-best plus-23 rating in 28 minutes of action as the Growling Tigers won their second straight game to improve to 6-6.
UST remains in fifth place but is now just half a game behind joint-third placers FEU and De La Salle University, both holding identical 6-4 records.
The Growling Tigers will look to sustain their climb toward the Final Four when they face Ateneo on Sunday, also at the Big Dome.
Meanwhile, the Red Warriors failed to build on the momentum of their drought-breaking victory over the Adamson Soaring Falcons in their previous game, falling to 1-11.
UE will play its penultimate game of the season against National University on Saturday at the Big Dome before closing its campaign against Ateneo on November 25.
