Crucial victory by Tamaraws over Bulldogs
Games Wednesday (Mall of Asia Arena) 2 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP 4 p.m. – UP vs De La Salle
Far Eastern University (FEU) solidified its Final Four bid with a critical 79-74 victory over National University (NU) yesterday in the 81st UAAP men’s basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ken Tiffin and LJ Gonzales came through with big baskets for FEU just when NU was turning things around, having trimmed a 16-point deficit to 71-65 with six minutes left.
Tuffin and Gonzales joined hands in a seven-point run capped by a fast break dunk by Tuffin that gave the Tamaraws breathing room, 78-65, with 5:13 left.
The last time NU threatened was when rookie guard Dave Ildefonso buried a jumper to make it 78-71 with 1:46 to go but the Bulldogs came no closer than a growl.
FEU’s win forced a tie with University of the Philippines for fourth place on 7-6 slates with a game left before the semifinal round.
UP meets De La Salle on Wednesday while FEU faces Adamson on Sunday in what should be make-or-break matches.
In case of ties, a playoff game will be played to determine the semifinalist.
“We are still in the hunt,” said FEU mentor Olsen Racela. “We still need one more win. Hopefully, we’re starting to gain that momentum, hopefully we can get that one more win.”
He added: “So far, these boys are playing really well the past two games. Hopefully, we can sustain that against Adamson. We are going all out for the win. Whatever happens on the other games, we are going for that win.”
Arvin Tolentino led the Tams with 16 points, Tuffin finished with 15 points, and Nigerian center Prince Orizu had six points and five rebounds in nine minutes in his return after missing three games due to a sprained right ankle suffered in the match against Ateneo last October 20.
NU guard John Clemente scored a career-best 38 points, the highest output for any player this season, surpassing University of the East ace gunner Alvin Pasaol’s 36point explosion against last September 19.
It was also the most by a Bulldog player since Jeff Napa, now the team’s assistant coach, dropped 43 points on Aug. 22, 2002.