After starting the season with a woeful 1-5 record, the FEU Tamaraws are still very much alive in the UAAP Season 88 Final Four race.
Far Eastern University continued its push for a Final Four spot in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament, outlasting the University of the East, 84-77, on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tamaraws secured their second straight win to improve their record to 6-7, tying the Adamson Soaring Falcons for fifth and sixth place.
FEU aims to close out the elimination round with three consecutive wins, starting on Wednesday against the University of Santo Tomas, to at least force a playoff for a Final Four berth, depending on the results of other matches.
“We just continued to battle at practice and we kept believing that we have a chance and make things better,” said FEU head coach Sean Chambers.
“I just love this journey and I’m grateful for the way our guys responded and we put ourselves a chance to get to the Final Four with such a young team,” he added.
After Janrey Pasaol put the Tamaraws up, 82-72, with 1:22 remaining, Wello Lingolingo tried to spark a late rally with a triple, followed by a Precious Momowei steal off the inbound and a two-handed jam, cutting the Red Warriors’ deficit to five with 31.1 seconds left.
UE forced a stop on the other end, sending FEU to a shot-clock violation with 16 seconds remaining, but Dray Caoile missed his three-point attempt, and Jorick Bautista iced the game from the free throw line.
“Kinuha ko muna sa practice ‘yung kumpyansa talaga kasi yun ang sabi ni Coach Sean, kailangan mong makuha ‘yung kumpyansa and just play basketball,” said Kirby Mongcopa, who delivered a well-rounded performance with 14 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block.
Bautista led FEU with 17 points—15 of which came in the first half, when the Tamaraws led by as much as 16, 35-19—along with six assists and three rebounds.
Mo Konateh added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Pasaol contributed 12 points, six assists, and four steals in the crucial win that kept FEU alive in the Final Four race.
Meanwhile, the Red Warriors suffered their 14th loss of the tournament, finishing winless. This also marked their 20th consecutive defeat dating back to the second round of Season 87.
UE, which also went winless in Season 84, joined Adamson University (Seasons 63 & 64) and University of the Philippines (Seasons 70, 73, & 76) as teams that ended a season 0-14.
Momowei led UE’s final fight this season with 19 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, and a block, while Lingolingo had 14 points and four rebounds but committed five of the team’s 15 turnovers.
Caoile, who finished with 10 points, six assists, and four rebounds, along with Reymark Rosete, played their final game for UE.
John Abate also ended his stint earlier due to a nose injury sustained during the second round.
The Scores:
FEU (84) - Bautista 17, Konateh 15, Mongcopa 14, Pasaol 12, Owens 10, Felipe 7, Daa 5, Jones 2, Ona 2, Montemayor 0, Bagunu 0, Macapagal 0.
UE (77) - Momowei 19, Lingolingo 14, Caoile 10, Mulingtapang 10, Cruz-Dumont 8, Despi 6, Robles 5, Datumalim 3, Malaga 2, Tanedo 0, Lagat 0, Jimenez 0, Rosete 0.
Quarterscores: 22-15, 42-32, 61-51, 84-77.