Adama Faye, the UST Growling Tigers’ foreign athlete for the past two seasons, departed to Senegal last week to recover from his back injury, ending his UAAP Season 86 campaign, sources told TomasinoWeb.

The 24-year-old Faye was a double-double machine for most of his UAAP stint, averaging 11.38 points, 12.23 rebounds, and 2.15 blocks per game in UAAP Season 85 with the Tigers garnering only a single win during the season.

UST will hold onto an All-Filipino lineup for the rest of the remaining five games of UAAP Season 86.

The 6-foot-8 center has been haunted by a back injury, playing for only two games and a total of 11 minutes.

The UST Growling Tigers currently have a 1-8 win-loss record at their hands, playing seven of the nine games with an All-Filipino lineup and snapping the 19-game losing streak against the FEU Tamaraws without Faye.

“Ever since (sa) first round, di naman kami nag make ng excuse na wala si Faye," UST Assistant coach Japs Cuan said during the interview press conference against FEU.

“I mean kung sino nagppractice samin, kung sino available, tiwala lang kami," he added.

Christian Manaytay took over Faye’s role as a small-ball center, starting eight of the nine games for the Growling Tigers.

UST’s next game will be against Adamson on Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Mall of Asia Arena.