FEU trips Adamson, La Salle stuns UST in UAAP

(From Inquirer)

Defense-minded Far Eastern University showcased its remarkable shooting this time to roll to a sixth straight triumph on Sunday.

The unbeaten Tamaraws recorded the league’s highest shooting percentage in seven years to clip the Adamson Falcons, 74-65, and strengthen their hold of top spot in the 73rd UAAP men’s basketball tournament, on Sunday, at the PhilSports Arena.

RR Garcia led a balanced offensive with 16 points as the Tamaraws registered an impressive 57.4 percent shooting clip and pushed the Falcons to a share of third with the idle Ateneo Blue Eagles at 3-2.

The Tamaraws’ shooting clip was the highest since Sept. 4, 2003, when University of the East shot 60 percent in its 80-69 triumph over National University.

FEU veteran Aldrech Ramos collected 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Cameroonian Pipo Noundou posted 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Tamaraws.

“I know that the other teams are focusing their defense on me, so it’s good that everyone’s contributing,” said Garcia, a former RP Youth team member.

The Tamaraws posted a staggering 60.7 shooting clip in the first half and took a 42-32 advantage, before stretching the gap to as many as 15 points, 58-43, in the third quarter.

But Capacio said the Tamaraws, who would shoot for a first-round sweep against the Tigers on Saturday, need to work on their end game.

“I’m not happy with our finish; we had turnovers down the stretch,” said Capacio.

Alex Nuyles, who shot a game-high 23 points, towed the Falcons to within 58-51, before the Tamaraws responded with a 14-5 spurt to erect a 72-56 lead.

While the title-favorite Tamaraws continued to live up to their billing, La Salle’s young Green Archers sustained their aggressive run by grabbing solo second after downing the University of Santo Tomas Tigers, 61-53, in the second game.

The Archers raced to a 19-point advantage, 41-22, and bucked the Tigers’ fourth-quarter rally to clinch their fourth victory in six games. UST slipped to fifth at 3-3.

“I can’t say anything more, I’m proud of the boys,” said FEU coach Glenn Capacio. “From our first group to the third group, the intensity was the same. Offensively and defensively, this is our best game.”

In the La Salle versus UST game, Jovet Mendoza topscored with 16 points, but the Archers also drew solid games from rookies Almond Vosotros and Luigi dela Paz.

“Our gameplan was to play defense above the three-point area because we know UST loves to shoot,” said La Salle coach Dindo Pumaren.

The scores:

First Game

FEU 74 —Garcia 16, Ramos 13, Noundou 11, Knuttel 10, Exciminiano 8, Cervantes 6, Cawaling 5, Romeo 3, Cruz 2, Mendoza 0, Bringas 0, Sanga 0.

ADAMSON 65 —Nuyles 23, Cañada 11, Camson 8, Alvarez 7, Colina 4, Cabrera 4, Stinnett 2, Manyara 2, Lozada 2, Basillio 2, Etrone 0, Galinato 0.

Quarters: 24-18, 42-32, 58-49, 74-65

Second Game

LA SALLE 61 —Mendoza 12, Vosotros 8, Dela Paz 8, Villanueva 8, Atkins 7, Tolentino 6, Andrada 6, Tampus 2, Paredes 2, Marata 2, Webb 0, Ferdinand 0.

UST 53 —Bautista 18, Camus 13, Mariano 8, Afuang 6, Pe 4, Teng 2, Fortuna 2, Daquioag 0, Marquez

Quarters: 15-12, 37-22, 47-33, 61-53

UAAP: Adamson downs UST; FEU routs UP

(From Inquirer)

Adamson University continued its impressive play after warding off University of Santo Tomas, 75-71, Sunday in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Dynamic guard Lester Alvarez took charge in the end game en route to a team-high 22 points, four of which came from long distance for the Faclons, who are now tied with La Salle in second place with a 3-1 slate.

Jeric Teng, meanwhile, exploded with a game-high 23 markers on 7-of-14 shooting from the three-point area for the Tigers, who suffered its second setback in four stints.

UST once again caught fire from downtown as it tied its own record for most three-point shots with 16, a mark it set against UP in its last game.

In the first game, the Far Eastern University rolled to its fourth straight victory in the 94-70 drubbing of University of the Philippines.

Terrence Romeo led all scorers with 21 points on three-of-five shooting from beyond the arch as the Tamaraws brought the Maroons its fourth straight loss.

Tams eye third straight win

(From Manila Bulletin)

Games Thursday (Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. — UP vs UST
4 p.m. — FEU vs UE

It’s payback time for Far Eastern University as it seeks its third win in as many games against last year’s Final Four tormentor University of the East this Thursday in the 73rd UAAP basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tamaraws, one of the title favorites this season, opened their campaign with two close wins, beating defending two-time champion Ateneo and National University in succession to wrest the solo lead after the league's second week.

RR Garcia has been the star in FEU's twin victories, firing 25 points in a 72-69 win over Ateneo then hit 18 points, including the go-ahead triple that eventually gave the Tamaraws a 76-72 victory over the dangerous Bulldogs.

Those feats enabled the former RP U-18 team standout to secure the first UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week.

Although Garcia and the rest of the Morayta-based squad are on top, they should still be wary of the Red Warriors in their 4 p.m. encounter.

UST and University of the Philippines collide in the curtain raiser at 2 p.m.

"Hindi pa kami kailangan mag-relax dahil nung preseason tinalo kami ng UE so siguro konting adjustments na lang gagawin namin," said coach Glenn Capacio, whose squad blew a 20-point lead in a loss to UE in the Filoil preseason tournament last April.

UE lost its first two games by an average margin of 16 points. On July 10, the Recto-based dribblers lost 70-57 to University of Santo Tomas then were handed an 82-63 drubbing by La Salle last Sunday.

Paul Lee scored 25 points in their defeat to the Green Archers but has obviously been playing hurt after suffering a hairline fracture in his right foot prior to the start of the season.

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

(From GMA News)

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.

Games Today
(PhilSports Arena)
2 p.m. Ateneo vs UST
4 p.m. UE vs La Salle

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.
NU's Kokoy Hermosisima (right) tries to keep the ball away while being tightly-guarded by FEU's Christopher Exciminiano during their game in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. GMANews.TV

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.

Tamaraws nip Eagles in battle of UAAP favorites

(From GMA News)

Powerhouse team Far Eastern University and grandslam-seeking squad Ateneo gave everyone a glimpse of a projected blockbuster finale in their debut game in the UAAP men’s basketball Season 73.

The titanic battle was fought over nine deadlocks and 13 lead changes, but a gutsy sophomore guard stole the spotlight in the tense match that was decided by a missed a shot in the final four tenths of a second.

Ryan Roose Garcia matched his career-high 25 points, including a crucial three-point play in the closing seconds of the game as the Tamaraws survived the Blue Eagles, 72-69, Sunday at the Big Dome.

Scores
FEU 72 – Garcia 25, Cervantes 13, Ramos 10, Sanga 9, Bringas 8, Noundou 3, Romeo 2, Exciminiano 2, Mendoza 0, Knuttel 0, Cawaling 0.
Ateneo 69– Salva 14, Buenafe 13, Long 11, Dela Cruz 10, Escueta 6, Salamat 6, Monfort 3, Erram 2, Golla 2, Chua 2, Gonzaga 0, Austria 0.
Quarter scores: 1-15, 35-30, 51-52, 72-69.
The second-year guard, who filled in the big shoes left by Mark Barroca, broke a 67-67 standoff by driving past Kirk Long and scoring on a lay-up plus a foul over rookie Edwin Escueta with 1:18 left in the game.

He completed the three-point play to give the Tamaraws enough cushion.

"I was pressured in the first quarter, but slowly but surely, I relaxed, and got my confidence going in the second half," said Garcia, who also had five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

FEU is the team considered to be the biggest thorn on Ateneo’s bid of a three-peat. But for coach Glen Capacio, the victory is just a realization on how tough the games are going to be played in this season’s tournament.

“We still have to prepare against all teams in the UAAP. Whatever effort we had in this game, we have to double it in the next games," said Capacio.

Reil Cervantes added 13 points and five rebounds while Smart-Gilas Pilipinas developmental team member Aldrech Ramos had 10 points and eight rebounds. Paul Sanga contributed nine points, all coming from beyond-the-arc, as the Tamaraws displayed balance firepower.

The Blue Eagles, who only lost a game en route to winning their second straight title last season, lost their season-opening match for only the second time since 2005.

The Blue Eagles had several chances of snatching a win over the Tamaraws, including their last offensive trip that opened up the lane for Nico Salva. But the team’s premier frontliner this season, muffed a potential game-tying basket as Cervantes secured the rebound.

Cervantes split his charities with only four tenths of a second left for the final tally.

It was a down-to-the-wire struggle for the two teams expected to dominate this season.

Salva had 14 points while Ryan Buenafe chipped in 13 markers. Long finished with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals while rookie forward Arthur dela Cruz Jr., son of former San Miguel Beer and current Barangay Ginebra assistant coach Art dela Cruz, had 10 points in a promising debut as a Blue Eagle.

But the star of the show was definitely Garcia, who let loose crucial triples during crunch time to finish the job done for the Tamaraws.

The Tamaraws joined early winners La Salle, University of Santo Tomas and Adamson in the win-column to share the lead in the first two play dates of this tournament.

UAAP: FEU seen as Ateneo’s top rival

(From Manila Bulletin)

Ateneo will be eyeing a three-peat but Far Eastern University is determined to spoil it as the Tamaraws hope to put their stunning Final Four defeat behind when the 73rd UAAP basketball tournament fires off this Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Despite the graduation of their Big 3 – Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, and Jai Reyes – the Eagles are still considered as the team to beat along with the Tamaraws who lost to University of the East in the semis last year.

That’s at least the consensus of the six other teams although Ateneo coach Norman Black and FEU mentor Glenn Capacio tried hard to downplay their team chances.

While they remain strong even without their marquee players, Black, however, emphasized the strength of the Tamaraws.

"I think FEU will be tough to beat but we have to improve as the league goes on," said Black, whose Ateneo squad is seeking to become the first UAAP team in five years to win three consecutive years.

"Sabi nila maswerte daw ang dilaw ngayon, so pipilitin namin na hindi mag-three peat ang Ateneo this year," said Capacio the press launching held inside a Cubao mall in Quezon City.

Both squads actually will have a chance to see first hand how good they are when they will clash on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Without his three starters, Black will have to rely much on veterans Eric Salamat, Nico Salva and Ryan Buenafe along with new recruits burly big man Jason Escueta, 6-foot-6 JP Erram and former San Sebastian Staglets center Jeric Estrada to pick up the slack.

"Our problem now is to figure out a way to make up for the absence of Jai, Rabeh and Nonoy. But it's time to move on so we have to trust the veterans and our new players," said Black. "We still have a good team but how good are we? That remains to be seen."

Capacio, whose contract is set to expire after the season, hopes to steer the school to their first championship since 2005 with an almost intact line-up led by Smart Gilas standouts Aldrech Ramos and JR Cawaling.

He will also entrust the services of vastly-improving guard RR Garcia, forward Reil Cervantes and Terrence Romeo, one of the team's three rookies.

"On paper, kami daw malakas pero were not that strong we're just playing good basketball so ang target namin is to enter the Final Four muna so we'll try our best," he said.

Black, Capacio and other coaches in attendance see a balanced competition from the other teams such as UE, Adamson, La Salle, National University, University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas as almost all teams have beefed up their respective lineups with blue-chip recruits.

"I think all games are tough, it's going to be competitive as all teams have somehow improved so it's make our job a lot difficult," said Black.

League commissioner Ato Badolato said that they will implement strict rules on officiating such as grading officials from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and even suspending them if such questionable calls occur.

"I will not hesitate to suspend officials," said Badolato. "We will grade our referees each game and we will let the players decide the game."