Tamaraws edge pesky Bulldogs for 2-0 start in UAAP caging

Determination and heart helped Far Eastern University (FEU) avoid being a victim of the league's perennial doormat turned-Final-Four-contender. For National University, it was a case of celebrating too early.

The FEU Tamaraws rallied from a seven-point fourth quarter deficit to score a thrilling 76-72 win over the hard-fighting Bulldogs of NU in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. "We expect the game to be tough since NU has nothing to lose and they were playing against an FEU team that’s ‘a title contender/No. 1 team on paper’. All the teams wanted to challenge us," said Tams coach Glenn Capacio. It was the second straight win for the Tams, ranked as the team who can foil two-time defending champion Ateneo's three-peat bid, as they survived the gallant stand put up by the vastly-improved Bulldogs, who fell to a 1-2 record. Sophomore guard RR Garcia had a five-point swing in a 12-2 closing exchange as the Tams turned a 68-61 deficit to a 73-70 advantage with one minute and 13 seconds left in the final period. NU, fresh from a 66-59 win over La Salle on Thursday, seemed headed for an upset when it posted that seven-point lead 4:31 left in the final period. They could have gone up by nine if not for Kokoy Hermosisima’s missed lay up try. FEU capitalized on NU’s missed opportunity with rookie Terrence Romeo draining a three-pointer to touch-off the Tams’ scoring run. The Bulldogs threatened for the last time, 73-72, courtesy of Hermosisima’s inside incursion with 56.7 seconds left in the clock. But luck wasn’t on NU’s side with their shot attempts, the last two free throws by Hermosisima, failed to find its target while Garcia’s charities and a Reil Cervantes split at the stripe iced the game for FEU. FEU seemed headed for an easy win when it zoomed to a 21-41 lead after 10 minutes of play. But NU, behind Hermosisima’s hot shooting in the second period, kept the game close as the Bulldogs entered the halftime break staring at a 37-36 deficit. Mervin Baloran gave NU its first taste of the lead, 40-39, early in the third before Joseph Terso made seven straight points for a 47-44 count. Cervantes paced the Tams’ scoring with 20 points to go with his seven rebounds and one blocked while Garcia tallied 18 markers (7-of-14 from the field) and four assists. Romeo added 11 off the bench. Hermosisima scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the first half to lead NU’s losing cause. He shot 4-of-5 from the three-point area in the first 20 minutes of the contest but struggled in the last two quarters. Khobuntin finished with 14 points while Terso added 11. Rookie big man Emmanuel Mbe was limited by the FEU defense to eight points and seven rebounds after a 21-point and 19-rebound effort in their win against La Salle. – JVP, GMANews.TV