Tiger heart beats strong
UST sweeps powerhouse FEU; Adamson stuns UE
UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas center Karim Abdul slumped on the floor as the final buzzer sounded, his tired legs finally getting a much-deserved breather after a battle of attrition. Any kind of reaction would have been warranted for Abdul and the Tigers after another awe-inspiring performance in front of their delirious supporters.
Facing a Far Eastern U team that sizzled from beyond the arc early, the Tigers completed another one of their trademark comebacks for a thrilling 85-76 triumph over the leagueleading Tamaraws last night that assured them of at least a playoff for a twice-to-beat advantage in UAAP Season 78 basketball tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“All heart,” said Abdul of their performance after the Tigers picked up their 10th win in 13 games by pulling off a season sweep of the fancied Tamaraws.
“We don’t want to make our situation complicated heading into the Final Four.”
Abdul, the fifth-year center, bullied his way to 23 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Kevin Ferrer, who left the game briefly after he found difficulty breathing because of a chocolate bar he ate before the game, wound up with 21 points, his presence on the floor in the last three minutes providing inspiration for the Tigers to complete the comeback from an early 14-point deficit.
Mario Bonleon provided the spark off the bench with 13 points, including two clutch baskets in the final period that gave the Tigers some separation as the Tamaraws mounted a rally that allowed them to close in at 80-73.
One more win for the Tigers and the Tamaraws will seal the bonus for both teams, but an Ateneo loss to La Salle today ( See related sto
ry below) could also hand the No. 1 and No. 2 squads the crucial semifinal edge.
The Final Four picture got a bit of clarity earlier after Adamson stunned University of the East, 74-71, for just its third win of the season.
The Falcons leaned on a huge performance from Pape Sarr, who tallied 22 points and 20 rebounds, even as Frederick Tungcab and Joseph Nalos finished with 14 and 11 points, respectively. The loss pushed the Warriors to the brink of elimination, after they suffered their eighth loss in 12 games.
“We just want respect of other teams and show that we belong in this tournament,” said Adamson coach Mike Fermin.
Just three days removed from a listless outing in the 77-91 defeat to the Warriors, the Tigers hardly looked deflated even after the Tamaraws zoomed to a 38-24 advantage on Joe Trinidad’s corner triple and FEU’s sixth trey early in the second period.
But Abdul and Ferrer combined for 15 points in the period to will the Tigers back into
the game. Ferrer struck hardest in the middle quarters, scoring 15 of his output in the stretch as the Tigers took control of the game.
“We saw the character of this team in this game,” said Bong dela Cruz. “I’m happy because they worked hard and nobody complained in practice after the UE loss.”
The scores First Game ADAMSON 74— Sarr 22, Tungcab 14, Nalos 11, Garcia 7, Escalambre 5, Ochea 5, Polican 5, Capote 3, Margallo 2, Bernardo 0, Fernandez 0, Villanueva 0.
UE 71— Derige 17, Palma 11, Charcos 9, Javier 9, J. Varilla 8, Abanto 4, De Leon 4, Yu 4, Batiller 3, Sta. Ana 2, Gagate 0, Manalang 0, Penuela 0, P. Varilla 0. Quarters: 24-19, 48-44, 65-54, 74-71 Second Game UST 85— Abdul 23, Ferrer 21, Bonleon 13, Vigil 13, Daquioag 11, Lee 4, Faundo 0, Lao 0, Sherrif 0, Suarez 0.
FEU 76— Tolomia 17, Tamsi 15, Belo 12, Pogoy 8, Ru. Escoto 6, Arong 5, Jose 4, Orizu 4, Trinidad 3, Inigo 2, Dennison 0, Ri. Escoto 0, Ebona 0.
Quarters: 19-30, 45-45, 69-59, 85-76