MANILA, Philippines – The defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws endured some nervous moments before holding on for a 51-49 victory over the gutsy University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The victory, which came after both teams combined for only nine points in the opening quarter, was FEU's second straight of the tournament following a triumph over University of the East (UE) last week.
The Tamaraws improved to 3-2 in the UAAP Season 79 men's basketball tournament.
It was a low scoring affair in the first half, with UP taking a 5-4 advantage at the end of the opening frame, only for FEU to seize control in the second period and enter the break on top, 20-15.
The Tamaraws looked to be running away with the contest as they opened up a double-digit lead, 35-22, late in the third quarter off a three-pointer by Wendel Comboy.
But the Fighting Maroons lived up to their moniker as they refused to fold. With Jett Manuel, Paul Desiderio, and Dave Moralde leading the charge, UP roared all the way back to make it a one-point game 44-45, with still 3:34 left to play.
A lay-up by Ron Dennison extended FEU's lead to three points, 47-44, with three minutes left, but in their next defensive possession, he was called for a disqualifying foul to the shock and dismay of their coaching staff.
"I think that's something that the commissioner has to review," Racela said of the foul called on Dennison, which came when Desiderio collapsed to the court, clutching his stomach.
Dennison gets thrown out for his shot on Desiderio 👀 👀#UAAPSeason79 pic.twitter.com/2baJ2mjfFV
— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) September 25, 2016
The decision gave UP two free throws, which Desiderio split, along with a bonus possession. The Fighting Maroons were unable to maximize the extra possession as Moralde missed a jumper, but after a defensive stop, Manuel was able to shake off the defense of FEU's Monbert Arong for a jump shot that tied the game at 47 with still 1:56 left.
FEU bricked a golden opportunity to seize the lead when Raymar Jose could not convert a transition dunk, and that gave UP a chance of its own to score on the break. But Nigerian center Prince Orizu came to the Tamaraws' rescue as he pinned Jarrell Lim's shot to the backboard for a crucial defensive stop.
"It's nice that Prince never gave up on the play," said Racela.
A free throw by Arong gave FEU the lead for good, and Orizu added another highlight-reel defensive play when he rejected Desiderio's jumper. Arong then made it a three-point game, 50-47, with 14.6 seconds left as he drained a clutch turnaround shot.
A lay-up by UP rookie Javi Gomez de Liano made it a one-point game, 49-50, with 6.9 seconds left, and a split at the line by Comboy left the door open for a comeback, but Moralde's heave hit back iron as time expired.
Arong led FEU with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while Orizu had 15 rebounds on top of his four rejections. The Tamaraws shot 30.77% from the field and had a 55-45 rebounding edge
Desiderio had 15 points, while Moralde finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds for UP, which failed to build on their win over UE last week. The Fighting Maroons made only 15 of their 68 field goals for a 22.06% rate, and more crucially, missed 13 of their 28 free throw attempts in the two-point loss.
The scores:
FEU 51 – Arong 14, Trinidad 7, Holmqvist 7, Jose 6, Comboy 6, Nunag 4, Dennison 2, Bienes 2, Ebona 2, Orizu 1, Inigo 0, Bayquin 0, Tuffin 0, Denila 0
UP 49 – Desiderio 15, Moralde 13, Manuel 8, Dario 6, Gomez de Liano 3, Espanola 2, Prado 2, Harris 0, Webb 0, Lim 0, Vito 0, Asilum 0, Jaboneta 0, Lao 0, Romero 0
Quarter scores: 4-5, 20-15, 38-30, 51-49
(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)
0 comments :
Post a Comment