2000 UST Growling Tigers basketball team

The Growling Tigers joined the inaugural season of the six-team National Basketball League in May. Games were played in a double round-robin home and away format, and were televised on ABS-CBN.[10]

UST failed to make it to the semifinals of the Father Martin Cup Invitational tournament, even as they tied the UE Red Warriors, the PCU Dolphins and the San Sebastian Stags with 7–1 records due to an inferior quotient.[11]

Elimination games were played in a double round-robin format and all of UST's games were televised on Studio 23.

Even without the already-graduated Gelo Velasco, the Growling Tigers remained formidable for Season 63 due to their near-intact lineup that featured the strong front line of Marvin Ortiguerra, Gilbert Lao, Mel Latoreno, and Alwyn Espiritu. They also had their shifty wing men in Cyrus Baguio, Niño Gelig, Emmerson Oreta, and Derick Hubalde, who all had gained added experience while playing in the Philippine Basketball League in the off-season.

Their runner-up finish from the past year has made them contenders, and the players' overconfidence and complacency has gotten head coach Aric del Rosario concerned. Another issue was the various injuries that his starters incurred in the buildup to the opening of the season. Latoreno was expected to be out for six weeks due to a stretched cartilage, while Lao had surgery on his lower back and needed time for recuperation. Hubalde also fractured a finger on his left hand, and Oreta had been suffering from a sprained ankle.[8][12]

FEU Tamaraws

The Growling Tigers' error-filled plays allowed FEU to erect an 11-point 53–42 lead early in the second half. Latoreno was called for an unsportsmanlike foul on FEU's Rysal Castro, as his elbow hit and bloodied Castro's mouth. UST was trailing by two at 27–29 with 3:43 left in the first half, but the Tamaraws went on an 8–2 run to close the half with an eight-point lead.[13]

Adamson Soaring Falcons

The Tigers defeated Adamson, 67–53 as their three-point shooting found their range during the game. They began the game with 13 unanswered points and ended the half on a 30–23 lead.

Oreta fired five of the Tigers' 10 three-pointers to lead the team with 20 points. Hubalde chipped in 9 points, with all of his points coming from beyond the arc. UST led by as high as 21 points in the second half at 53–32, but the Falcons went on a 12–5 rally to come within 14 at 58–44.[14]

Ateneo Blue Eagles

Rookie guard Dondon Villamin came off the bench to orchestrate the Growling Tigers' plays to a come-from-behind win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles. The first half ended with UST trailing, 27–39, and after the halftime huddle, with head coach Aric del Rosario lashing out at his players, the boys erupted with an 18–8 run to begin the second half.

Emmerson Oreta converted his and-1 to give UST the lead at 51–50 as they limited Ateneo to only five field goals in the second half, with the Eagles going scoreless for seven minutes. Four of the Tigers scored in double figures with Alwyn Espiritu finishing with 13 points. Oreta and Cyrus Baguio contributed 12 points apiece, while Niño Gelig added 11.[15]

NU Bulldogs

UST relied on their big men, Alwyn Espiritu and Mel Latoreno to take advantage of the NU Bulldogs' shorter defenders as they attacked the shaded lane for a 70–63 win. Latoreno and Derick Hubalde topscored for the Tigers with 15 points apiece.[16]

UP Fighting Maroons

The Tigers made 8 out of their 10 free throws at endgame to defeat the UP Fighting Maroons, 49–45. UST had trailed for almost the entire game, until they tightened up on defense to gain the upperhand. Already up by 2 points at 47–45 in the final 12 seconds, they forced a turnover on the Maroons' Rob Bornancin, as he was made to pass to teammate Edrick Ferrer. The Tigers scored the last basket for the win. Marvin Ortiguerra and Alwyn Espiritu topscored with 14 and 10 points respectively.[17]

UST's first round of eliminations ended with four wins against three losses. With the exception of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, who won the Father Martin Cup in the preseason, all their other wins were against teams with losing records. The Tigers have shown inconsistency in their losses due to the absence of a playmaker after former team captain Gelo Velasco's departure from the team. The one advantage that the Tigers have with their inconsistency is in their offense, as no player in their roster made it to the top ten in scoring averages. This trend has left their opponents guessing in terms of defense, as to who they will need to guard more or switch with a double team on.

UP Fighting Maroons

Cyrus Baguio missed both his free throws with time running out in regulation, sending the game into overtime with UP at 64–all. In the extra period, Baguio added nine to his total 19 points, pulling UST to a five-point 69–64 lead. The Maroons came to within two points, but they sent Baguio to the line anew after a foul from Bornancin was called. He split his charity for a 75–72 score, with 5.7 seconds remaining. UP's Mike Bravo went for a running three-point shot, but missed, giving the Tigers their fifth win in eight games. Derick Hubalde and Mel Latoreno chipped in 15 and 11 points as they joined Baguio in scoring double-digits for UST.[4]

Adamson Soaring Falcons

The Tigers blew hot and cold throughout the game and were only saved by Adamson's missed free throws in the dying seconds of the overtime period. Oreta's 1 of 2 from the charity stripe gave the Tigers a three-point cushion with seven seconds remaining in regulation, but Baguio fouled the Falcons' Joshua Ramirez, who was going for a three-point shot.

UST was trailing, 37–42 in the last three minutes of regulation time, until Baguio sparked a four-point run that included a difficult twisting undergoal basket to tie the score at 42–all in the last 23 seconds. Marvin Ortiguerra towed his team to a 54–51 overtime lead with his back-to-back mid-range jumpers.

Dondon Villamin and Derick Hubalde were unable to finish the game when they suffered separate injuries. Villamin dislocated his shoulder, while Hubalde twisted his ankle during one of the plays.[20][5]

UE Red Warriors

UE placed the game under protest with the Warriors' coach Itoy Esguerra claiming a three-point shot by Baguio should have been nullified because the halftime buzzer has sounded before the ball was released.

The Warriors' rookie James Yap fired a three-pointer to pull his team within one at 56–57 in the last 24 seconds. A miss by Oreta in the next play gave the Warriors the last possession and a chance to steal the game, but Yap missed a 14-foot jumper and his teammate Ronald Tubid, who had gotten the rebound was called for stepping out of bounds.

Cyrus Baguio led the team with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. He scored 20 points in the first half.[21][22]

FEU Tamaraws

UST was held scoreless by the FEU Tamaraws in the last seven minutes and were forced into overtime, where they scored only two points, eventually losing, 57–61. Glenn Manching converted a three-point basket to pull the Tigers to a seven-point 55–48 lead late in the second half before his team went on a scoring drought. FEU's Edwin Bacani had the chance to send the Tamaraws to victory at the end of regulation, but he missed his jumper, ten feet away from the goal. The Tigers got the rebound, with Niño Gelig attempting and missing his shot as time expired.

The Tigers were tentative in their offense throughout the game, as evindenced in their zero fast break points and only five free throw attempts.[6][23]

Ateneo Blue Eagles

The Growling Tigers' 59–60 loss to Ateneo pushed them down to a 7–6 record and put them in danger of missing the Final Four, as the UE Red Warriors, sporting a 7–5 record were looking to overtake them by winning their last two games of the eliminations.

Cyrus Baguio was fouled and sent to the free throw line in the closing seconds of the game. He converted his first foul shot to give the Tigers the lead at 59–58, but he missed the second charity which was rebounded by the Eagles' Enrico Villanueva, who then made a pass to teammate Wesley Gonzales for a fast break. Gonzales, in turn passed the ball to Magnum Membrere for the game-winning shot.[24][25]

NU Bulldogs

The Tigers were trailing, 66–69 with six seconds left, when Emmerson Oreta drilled his sixth three-point shot to send the game into overtime. They limited the Bulldogs to a single point in the extra period, as they forced four errors on them. Niño Gelig earlier scored a triple to push UST up by three at 72–69. The game went down to a battle of free throws until time expired, with the Tigers winning, 75–70.

Oreta topscored for the Tigers with 20 points, with Marvin Ortiguerra and Cyrus Baguio adding 15 and 12 respectively.[26][2]

UE Red Warriors

Cyrus Baguio, Marvin Ortiguerra, and Jake Agleron conspired to quash UE's persistence at making repeated comebacks the entire game, to topscore in their 65–61 win with 12, 12, and 10 points respectively.

UST made a crucial turn when Ortiguerra blocked the Warriors' Ronald Tubid, with the ball landing on Baguio's hands. Tubid fouled Baguio and sent him to the line and was able to convert both shots. Agleron added two more free throws to give the Tigers a 64–58 lead. UE's Aldwyn Manubag fired a triple to cut down UST's lead to three with time running down. The Warriors fouled Baguio to stop the clock, and the Growling Tiger made one of two for the final count of 65–61.[27][3]

De La Salle Green Archers

The Growling Tigers fell victim to a 0–11 uprising by the Green Archers, midway in the first half to drop behind, 12–25. They ended the first period trailing by seven points at 32–39. They played catch-up the rest of the way as the team could not get the usual big plays from Ortiguerra, Baguio, and Alwyn Espiritu.

Niño Gelig and Jake Agleron sparked an 8–1 run that brought the score to within three at 62–65 with 1:03 left in the game after being down, 54–64. Derick Hubalde then stole off La Salle's Mon Jose and streaked down for a fast break, but failed to pass off to an open Cyrus Baguio, and instead took a three-point shot and missed. The Archers were able to collar the rebound with 26 seconds remaining. La Salle's Renren Ritualo missed his shot, giving UST a chance to equalize, but Hubalde, who earlier converted three triples missed his potential game-tying attempt as the game clock expired.[28][7]