The UST Growling Tigers ended their UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament run with a 69-78 defeat against the UP Fighting Maroons, on Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Kyle Paranada, Nic Cabañero, and Gelo Crisostomo led UST in scoring with 12 points each while Christian Manaytay notched 10 points in the losing effort.

Both teams got off to a slow start but buckets from Terrence Fortea, Reyland Torres gave UP a four-point lead, 7-3.

Efforts from Cabañero, Mo Tounkara, and a three-pointer from Paranada brought the lead down to one, 12-13.

A long bomb from Francis Lopez put UP's lead back to four, 12-16, but a tough finish from Cabañero helped UST end the first quarter only down by two, 14-16.

UP continued to heat up as Quentin Millora-Brown fueled a 9-0 run to give the Fighting Maroons a six-point cushion, 27-21.

Amiel Acido answered back and triggered a 10-0 run for the Growling Tigers, allowing them to go up by four, 31-27 while finishes from Crisostomo helped UST maintain the lead coming into halftime, 35-33.

UP entered the third quarter unfazed as they unleashed a 19-4 run propelled by shots from Lopez and Harold Alarcon to put UP leading by 11, 44-55.

The Tigers regained composure late into the quarter after charity shots from Cabañero, Padrigao, and a bucket from Crisostomo cut the lead down to seven, 50-57.

Conversions from Cabañero, Tounkara and Padrigao from inside the paint helped UST cut the lead to four, 58-62.

Cagulangan and Alarcon continued to light up the floor, draining buckets from all around the court to eight, 66-58.

Padrigao was sent off in the waning moments of the game after elbowing Millora-Brown, 61-72.

A Manaytay three-pointer and a Tounkara layup cut the lead down to six, 66-72, but a mid-range dagger from Cagulangan and two free-throws from Lopez put the game to bed, 69-78.

Millora-Brown was named player of the game with nine points, 19 rebounds, and four blocks while Lopez and Alarcon mustered up with points each while Torres finished with 13 points.

The Growling Tigers will look to return stronger next season as seniors Manaytay, Migs Pangilinan and Chase Lane depart from the team.