Marc Burgos sank the game-winning free throw as Far Eastern University-Diliman handed National University Nazareth School its first loss, 79-78, in the UAAP Season 88 boys’ basketball tournament on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.
After Shaun Lucido made a perfect trip to the free throw line to tie the game at 78-all with 4.8 seconds left, the Baby Tamaraws — led by two-time UAAP champion coach Mike Reyes — ran a flawless play that saw Yosef Raneses toss an inbound alley-oop pass to Burgos.
The 6-foot-5 forward from Nueva Ecija didn’t convert the alley-oop, but he drew a shooting foul on Corian Cabantog with 1.1 seconds left.
Burgos made his first free throw, missed the second, and Raneses grabbed the offensive rebound to seal FEU-D’s comeback victory, bouncing back from a 71-90 loss to Ateneo de Manila University last Wednesday.
“That’s a regular inbound, that’s an option talaga for us kaya alam na alam talaga nila yung gagawin. That’s an option, to toss an alley-oop. Four seconds, we drew something to get Cabonilas a shot, it did not work, kaya with two seconds left, that’s a regular inbound,” FEU-D head coach Mike Reyes said.
Meanwhile, defending champion University of Santo Tomas notched its first win of the season with a strong second-half performance in a wire-to-wire 79-70 victory over Adamson University.
The Tiger Cubs opened the third quarter with a pivotal 11-2 run — capped by a Wacky Ludovice layup — to build a 19-point lead at 57-38.
UST maintained control heading into the fourth quarter, stretching the advantage to a game-high 78-51 with 5:04 left, thanks to free throws from Jhon Canapi and LJ Lapastora and layups from Tomas Cruz and Daniel Sta. Maria.
“Masaya kami na nakuha na namin yung first win namin kasi talagang nakaranas kami ng two heartbreaker ng talo talaga ‘eh,” UST head coach Manu Inigo said on the win.
“Sabi ko nga sa kanila, move on na, start na sana tayo ng maganda today and okay naman ang naging kinalabasan.”
The Scores:
First Game:
UST (79) - Ajani 12, Ludovice 9, Canapi 9, Esteban 8, Lapastora 8, Pulongbarit 8, Melano 7, Sta. Maria 6, Bandigan 3, Acido 3, Vidanes 2, Cruz 2, Cañete 1, Bohol 1, Bathan 0, Candare 0.
AdU (70) - Jenodia 11, Iledan 10, Gomez 8, Artango 8, Flores 7, Garcia 6, Eiman 5, Frogoso 4, Bautista 3, Saygo 3, Matillano 3, Salog 2, Babad 0, Fongtong 0, Alcartado 0, Gonzales 0.
Quarterscores: 30-19, 46-36, 72-51, 79-70.
Second Game:
FEU-D (79) - Cabonilas 22, Hall 13, Godoy 11, Burgos 9, Alagaban 8, Gaye 7, Raneses 4, Carinno 4, Santos 1, Cagurungan 0, Dagcutan 0, Esperanza 0, Sohm 0.
NUNS (78) - Lucido 20, Figueroa 17, Diakite 16, Cartel 6, Cabantog 6, Matias 4, Juan 4, Celiz 3, Bouzina 2, Natinga 0, Mann 0, Timbang 0.
Quarterscores: 18-16, 41-42, 54-57, 79-78.