UAAP: FEU survives late surge by UST to stay in Final Four hunt

Far Eastern University have kept their name in the Final Four sweepstakes by taming University of Santo Tomas, 81-79, Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Propelled by an impressive second quarter, where they scored 32 points, the Tamaraws improved to an even 7-7 record. The Morayta-based squad’s playoff hopes for the fourth seed now rests on Ateneo de Manila University beating De La Salle University later in the afternoon.

Swingman Luke Felipe and Jorick Bautista paced FEU in scoring by notching 15 points each. Meanwhile, center Mo Konateh controlled the paint by producing 15 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks.

Guard Janrey Pasaol also had himself a well-round showing, scoring 13 points, dishing out 11 assists, grabbing five rebounds, and collecting five steals.

After the matchup, FEU head coach Sean Chambers praised his coaching counterpart for making the necessary adjustments and giving the Tamaraws a good game.

“As expected, I'm sure Coach Pido [Jarencio] went at them at halftime and said, ‘Hey, we need to play the game the right way.’ They came out and played hard. At the same time, I kind of had a stern talk with my guys, but you got to play the game the right way,” said Chambers.

“You have to respect it no matter what the situation is or what the outcome may be. So, kudos to UST. They came out and played hard. They didn't just lay down. So, I think all the other teams should respect that,” added the Tamaraws tactician.

Early on, FEU showed bravery by only limiting the Growling Tigers to single digits in the opening frame. After showcasing their defensive prowess, the Tamaraws shifted to their offensive gears, unleashing a 17-3 run to extend their lead to 20, 31-11.

Unfazed by the differential at halftime, the Growling Tigers slowly started to chip away at the FEU lead. In the middle of the fourth quarter, UST uncorked a 19-6 scoring run to inch closer to FEU, 77-72.

With four seconds left on the game clock, UST was able to force Mongcopa into a turnover which translated into a Mark Llemit basket to cut the lead down to one, 80-79. However, it was too late for the Growling Tigers at that point, with Bautista making a free throw to ice the game in favor of FEU, 81-79.

On the other hand, the loss incurred by UST today did not affect their Final Four fate. Finishing the elimination rounds at eight wins and six losses, the España-based squad were spearheaded by Gelo Crisostomo, who tallied 28 points, 12 of which coming in the third quarter alone.

Scores:

FEU 81 - Bautista 15, Felipe 15, Konateh 15, Mongcopa 13, Pasaol 13, Owens 3, Daa 3, Montemayor 3, Jones 0, Macapagal 0, Nakai 0, Ona 0.

UST 79 - Crisostomo 28, Cabanero 17, Akowe 9, Acido 5, Bucsit 4, Danting 4, Buenaflor 2, Calum 2, Laure 2, Llemit 2, Padrigao 2, Paranada 2, Bangco 0, Estacio 0, Manding 0.

Quarters: 14-8, 46-25, 63-48, 81-79.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News