Tams signature run crushes Warriors
Nash: We don’t know when they’ll come
THOSE massive scoring outbursts Far Eastern University seems to drop with ease may have made the Tamaraws look scary good.
But for FEU coach Nash Racela, the huge late runs actually make him fidget.
“It’s hard because we don’t know when they’ll come,” said Racela after another torrid rally got the Tamaraws past University of the East, 92-81, that gave them the solo lead at 41 in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
“I also get surprised at the end of the game that it was an 18-0 run, a 20-0 run,” added Racela. “Everything starts with defense.”
National University, who got its groove back with a second-quarter turnaround, thrashed winless Adamson, 75-54, in the second game yesterday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“It looked easy but we had a hard time in the first half,” said NU coach Eric Altamirano. For the Bulldogs, their second straight triumph is enough of a confidence boost after an alarming 0-3 start to their title defense.
While team stars Mac Belo and Mike Tolomia get a lot of things going for the Tamaraws, their reliable cast led by Raymar Jose and Roger Pogoy also help make those big comebacks happen.
Belo dropped half of his 24 points in the Tamaraws’ fourth-quarter tear, where they shot a staggering 59 percent from the field and highlighted it with an 18-0 bomb that gave them an 88-75 spread after trailing by as many as 15 points, 25-40. The scores: First Game FEU 92— Belo 24, Tolomia 15, Arong 14, Jose 13, Pogoy 10, Iñigo 8, Tamsi 3, Escoto Ru. 2, Orizu 2, Escoto Ri. 1, Comboy 0, Dennison 0, Ebona 0, Trinidad 0.
UE 81— Batiller 18, Javier 13, Derige 10, Varilla 9, Abanto 8, Charcos 7, De Leon 7, Palma 6, Manalang 3, Penuela 0, Yu 0. Quarters: 21-29, 39-50, 59-71, 92-81 Second Game NU 75— Aroga 16, Alolino 10, Tansingco 10, Celda 8, Diputado 7, Javelona 6, Yu 6, Salim 5, Abatayo 3, De Castro 2, Morido 2, Alejandro 0, Javillonar 0, Lastimosa 0, Neypes 0, Rangel 0.
ADAMSON 54— Villanueva 11, Sarr 9, Nalos 7, Ochea 6, Polican 6, Garcia 4, Escalambre 3, Margallo 3, Camacho 2, Ng 2, Bernardo 1, Fernandez 0, Tungcab 0.
Quarters: 17-19, 33-28, 54-40, 75-54