Archers barely survive tough Tams
Highly vaunted La Salle nearly squandered a 16-point lead against Far Eastern U but the Tams spent themselves from the effort and the Archers squeezed out a hard-earned 83-78 victory yesterday in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the MOA Arena in Pasay.
Jeron Teng and Cameroonian Ben Mbala came up big with the former firing a game-high 28 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, while Mbala marked his hyped-up UAAP debut with 13 points, 23 rebounds and four blocks as the Archers joined three others in the lead in the early going of the 79th season.
Earlier, National U banked on Alfred Aroga in the stretch as it turned back University of the East, 72-66.
Mbala was supposed to play last season but was barred due to eligibility violations and La Salle failed to make it past the elims.
But despite missing out the Final Four last year, the Archers still came into the match as heavy favorites after dominating strong pre-season tournaments, including the FilOil event last summer that also featured the top teams in the NCAA.
They lived up to that billing in the early going, leading FEU by double digits at the break but nearly cracked up in the face of the defending champions’ spirited rally down the stretch.
New La Salle coach Aldin Ayo, however, downplayed the Archers’ win.
“It’s just the first game,” said Ayo, who moved to the Taft-based school after steering Letran to an improbable NCAA title romp.
Trailing by 46- 62 in the third period, the Tams, sans last year’s stars Mike Tolomia and Mac Belo among others who have graduated, refused to give up and fought their way back to within three at the start of the fourth period and threatened at 77-79 with less than two minutes to go on two free throws by Prince Orizu.
But Teng took over and scored La Salle’s final four points from the stripe to seal the victory.
Earlier, Aroga powered his way to nine of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter while spiking his solid offensive effort with a superb defensive game, hauling down 13 rebounds and coming up with four shot blocks. He also played hurt late in the game with a sprained ankle.
“He just refused to be substituted on and I trust his judgment,” said NU coach Eric Altamirano of Aroga, who also credited their defense for the win.
“Our defense bailed us out in the fourth quarter,” said Altamirano, whose Bulldogs lost twice to the Warriors last season.