8/28/2004
Almost first
It had to be against Far Eastern University.
University of the Philippines continue their UAAP men’s basketball rampage as the Maroon five just had their fifth win courtesy of the Tamaraws, 61-56, last August 28 at the PhilSports Arena. And for a while there, everybody thought that FEU would claim first spot from Ateneo de Manila University for at least one day.
It all started near the end of the third quarter when JR dela Cruz gave Josant Cervantes a wayward elbow as retaliation for the hack the former received at the back of the neck. This exchange somehow rejuvenated the UP crowd and the Maroons as well as they clawed back from a deficit as high as 14 to underhanded the favored Tams.
At the same time, FEU was surprisingly missing their freethrows. After getting only one in the first half, they went 7/18 in the final two quarters to aid the Diliman-based cagers with their upset.
Despite being usually reliable from beyond the arc, Far Eastern missed all of their 12 three-point attempts. In contrast, the referees were calling it tight against the defending champions as UP made 21 out of the 36 freebies given to them.
“Our goal was to limit FEU to less than 60 points,” the victorious Lito Vergara said. They did that and they still had three to spare, almost duplicating the final tally that they had the first time they met this season.
RJ Rizada had his better day as he finished with a double-double of 16 points and ten rebounds. Mark Isip scored all of his 15 points in the first half only to go blank in the other. And this had to be Arwind Santos’ worst game of the season chalking only five points on 2/9 shooting despite grabbing eight boards.
On the other hand, the other Santos, Abby of UP, fared better with 14 points and nine caroms. Josant Cervantes, playing with a sprain and all, still had 12 points with 12 rebounds. Marvin Cruz and Toti Almeda also both reached double digits with 11 and ten, respectively.
Although the Morayta-based squad started listless, they still claimed the first quarter with Isip’s buzzer-beating three-point play, 17-13. In the second period, they continued playing as a team, scoring mostly from handoffs and drop passes. They tasted eight-point leads, 29-21, when Dennis Miranda zoned in and found a wide open Isip free under the basket, less than two minutes left, and again when Miranda received a fastbreak pass from Rizada, pump faked, and laid it in.
FEU had their highest margin of 14 midway in the third canto courtesy of Rizada’s trip to the line, the only time a Tam made both his charities in the game, 43-29. From there, State ignited a 13-3 run to end the quarter.
The Maroons finally got the upperhand back with Cervantes’ trifecta coming from a Jireh Ibañes assist, 51-50, six and a half minutes to go in the game. After an exchange of freethrows, Nestor David and Almeda both scored to send the Tamaraws deeper, 56-51, with the two-minute warning getting close.
University of the Philippines continue their UAAP men’s basketball rampage as the Maroon five just had their fifth win courtesy of the Tamaraws, 61-56, last August 28 at the PhilSports Arena. And for a while there, everybody thought that FEU would claim first spot from Ateneo de Manila University for at least one day.
It all started near the end of the third quarter when JR dela Cruz gave Josant Cervantes a wayward elbow as retaliation for the hack the former received at the back of the neck. This exchange somehow rejuvenated the UP crowd and the Maroons as well as they clawed back from a deficit as high as 14 to underhanded the favored Tams.
At the same time, FEU was surprisingly missing their freethrows. After getting only one in the first half, they went 7/18 in the final two quarters to aid the Diliman-based cagers with their upset.
Despite being usually reliable from beyond the arc, Far Eastern missed all of their 12 three-point attempts. In contrast, the referees were calling it tight against the defending champions as UP made 21 out of the 36 freebies given to them.
“Our goal was to limit FEU to less than 60 points,” the victorious Lito Vergara said. They did that and they still had three to spare, almost duplicating the final tally that they had the first time they met this season.
RJ Rizada had his better day as he finished with a double-double of 16 points and ten rebounds. Mark Isip scored all of his 15 points in the first half only to go blank in the other. And this had to be Arwind Santos’ worst game of the season chalking only five points on 2/9 shooting despite grabbing eight boards.
On the other hand, the other Santos, Abby of UP, fared better with 14 points and nine caroms. Josant Cervantes, playing with a sprain and all, still had 12 points with 12 rebounds. Marvin Cruz and Toti Almeda also both reached double digits with 11 and ten, respectively.
Although the Morayta-based squad started listless, they still claimed the first quarter with Isip’s buzzer-beating three-point play, 17-13. In the second period, they continued playing as a team, scoring mostly from handoffs and drop passes. They tasted eight-point leads, 29-21, when Dennis Miranda zoned in and found a wide open Isip free under the basket, less than two minutes left, and again when Miranda received a fastbreak pass from Rizada, pump faked, and laid it in.
FEU had their highest margin of 14 midway in the third canto courtesy of Rizada’s trip to the line, the only time a Tam made both his charities in the game, 43-29. From there, State ignited a 13-3 run to end the quarter.
The Maroons finally got the upperhand back with Cervantes’ trifecta coming from a Jireh Ibañes assist, 51-50, six and a half minutes to go in the game. After an exchange of freethrows, Nestor David and Almeda both scored to send the Tamaraws deeper, 56-51, with the two-minute warning getting close.
// posted by Unknown @ 22:39 
