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| Cris Tolomia and the Tamaraws finally broke out and blew out the hapless Red Warriors. |
FEU TAMARAWS over UE RED WARRIORS, 92-66
Finally, the FEU Tamaraws blew someone out, and was it any big surprise that the victim was UE?
In their past few games, the Red Warriors have been good in stretches, but they’ve never really been able to consistently put up great numbers for forty minutes.
In this encounter, they were mighty impressive in the first quarter, where they took it to FEU and even doubled up the Tamaraws’ score, 18-9, thanks mainly to the fast starts of Roi Sumang and Chris Javier. Both young bucks paired up for 12 of UE’s 18 first quarter points, and based on that it seemed FEU would be in for another down-the-wire affair.
And then, unfortunately for Coach Jerry Codiñera, the REAL Red Warriors decided to show up in the second quarter.
In fairness, UE wasn’t super terrible in the second. The Reds actually grabbed as many rebounds as the Tams and turned the ball over only once. The problem was this – their shooting percentage dropped, and I mean DROPPED.
In the first frame, UE managed to shoot just a shade under 40% from the field, and they actually made two treys. In the second, that rate dropped to under 19% from the floor, including 0-for-4 from rainbow land. This time, FEU scrambled to the shooters and open men a bit quicker, limiting Javier and Sumang to just 6 points total.
In the meantime, RR Garcia woke up, scoring 10 of his 18 points. He missed only one shot the whole quarter and dished out 2 assists. The frontcourt duo of Anthony Hargrove and Russel Escoto did well, too. They combined for 10 points and 7 boards to help FEU not only retake the lead, but bust the game open with a 13-point halftime margin.
UE continued to fight in the second half, but it was clear FEU wouldn’t let them get too close for comfort. This time, Hargrove teamed up with Arvie Bringas to bully UE’s thin frontline, while Terrence Romeo and Gryann Mendoza mopped up in the backcourt. Romeo eventually led FEU with 19 markers. Both he and Garcia had 8 assists in a scintillating display of top-shelf playmaking, while Hargrove and Bringas produced a combined output of 22 points and 17 rebounds.
This win definitely makes the Moraytans a much tougher opponent, since they’ve finally clicked on all cylinders. They didn’t need any late-game heroics this time around, and Coach Bert Flores is surely happy about it. Still, their 4-0 card might be a bit misleading since they haven’t gone through Ateneo and NU yet. If they can get past those two teams and still wind up relatively unscathed, then FEU might be looking at an inside track to another Final Four trip.
For UE, this loss further compounds their futility. They can take some positive things from their awesome first quarter, but they have to realize that consistency is the key in winning in the UAAP. They probably already know that, but actually doing it on the court is a very different matter from hearing it or reading about it. One curious thing is big man Adrian Santos ended up with a big fat egg here. He attempted only twice from the field and didn’t contribute much aside from 6 rebounds. The Recto five will need him if they hope to spring any upsets in the future.
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| Gene Belleza and the Warriors fell flat-footed as the Tams turned up the heat after the opening quarter. |
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| Chris Javier had easily his best game of Season 75 so far, but his team still struggled mightily against FEU. |
Scores:
FEU 92 – Romeo 19, Garcia 18, Hargrove 11, Bringas A 11, Mendoza 8, Tolomia 6, Escoto 5, Pogoy 4, Cruz 4, Sentcheu 2, Iñigo 2, Jose 2, Belo 0, Guerrero 0, Bringas M 0
UE 66 – Javier 20, Sumang 16, Sumido 10, Gallanza 5, Olayon 4, Hernandez 4, Belleza 2, Valdez 2, Duran 2, Flores 1, Alberto 0, Villarias 0, Santos 0, Razon 0
QS: 14-18, 42-29, 61-47, 92-66
Notable Performers:
Terrence Romeo (FEU) – 19pts, 8asts, 5rebs, 3 treys, 1stl
RR Garcia (FEU) – 18pts, 8asts, 6rebs, 3 treys
Chris Javier (UE) – 20pts, 9rebs, 2asts, 1stl, 1blk
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