UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas bounced back strong on Saturday, delighting its home crowd at the Quadricentennial Pavilion with a commanding 111-99 win over the struggling University of the East in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

Still reeling from a narrow loss to National University earlier in the week, the Growling Tigers responded with renewed energy, showcasing balanced firepower and resilience to improve their record to 3-1.

“We draw so much confidence from coach Pido. He really trusts our veterans like Nic [Cabanero] and Forthsky [Padrigao], as well as Collins [Akowe], who has been playing through illness for almost two weeks now,” said assistant coach Juben Ledesma. “The community support also boosted us—it’s different when we play on our home court.”

UST held just a slim 59-55 advantage at halftime, but the Tigers turned the tide in the third quarter, outscoring the Red Warriors 24-12 to seize control of the game.

Cabañero powered the charge with 22 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Padrigao and Akowe each added 18 points, with the latter also hauling down 17 rebounds to complete a double-double performance.

UE’s John Abate poured in a game-high 27 points, while Dray Caoile chipped in 23. Precious Momowei also registered a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, but their efforts weren’t enough as the Red Warriors slipped to 0-4.