FAR Eastern University (FEU) clamped down University of the Philippines (UP) to score an 89-73 victory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan CIty.
Prince Orizu scored 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting as the Tamaraws held the Fighting Maroons to their lowest output in three games in the season.
More important, the FEU is back on the winning track after a painful 74-76 loss to a young University of Santo Tomas (UST) team on September 12. The Tamaraws hiked their record to two wins against a single loss.
“’Good bounce-back win. It was a bit hard to take a game like that,” FEU Head Coach Olsen Racela said. “It was a defensive game. I felt like our offense was just a bonus. We had good execution on the defensive end.”
The Tamaraws mounted a strong first-quarter attack on Orizu’s nine points that gave them on a 25-13 advantage.
The onslaught continued in the third quarter and the lead ballooned to 24 with Wendell Comboy’s triple in the 5:13 mark.
But UP tried to flip the table with its 10-0 rally early in the final period, but FEU answered with its own 7-0 assault to keep the game for good.
Arvin Tolentino scored 13 points and grabbed three rebounds, while Comboy added 12 points, five boards and five assists for FEU.
Brothers Javier and Juan Gomez de Llano led the Fighting Maroons with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Bright Akhuetie shot a miserable 1-of-8 from the field in the first half and his production in the fourth quarter hardly mattered as he finished with nine points that went with 11 rebounds.
UP fell to its second loss in three games.
National University (NU), meanwhile, goes for a fifth straight men’s championship while De La Salle eyes a second consecutive women’s crown in Season 81 badminton tournament that opens on Monday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
The Bulldogs and Lady Shuttlers drew opening day byes and will see action on Thursday.
NU takes on Ateneo at 8 a.m. In the women’s session at 1 p.m., De La Salle tackles with Ateneo.
Starring last season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Alvin Morada, the Bulldogs, undefeated in 35 ties, will parade an intact roster with former MVP Leeward Pedrosa returning, boosting the Bustillos-based squad’s bid for another crown.
Reigning MVP Nicole Albo will banner the Lady Shuttlers’ quest to keep the throne.
Hostilities will actually begin on Tuesday with the men’s ties at 8 a.m., with last year’s runner-up UP taking on Adamson University, Ateneo battling University of the East (UE) and UST playing De La Salle.
Women’s ties at 1 p.m. will feature former champion UP facing UST, Ateneo crossing paths with UE, and NU pitting Adamson University.
Determined to achieve a breakthrough championship, the Lady Bulldogs will unveil the country’s top player in Sarah Joy Barredo to challenge the Lady Shuttlers and the Lady Maroons.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza