UE spoils FEU’s bid to earn twice-to-beat in UAAP semis

MANILA, Philippines - University of the East spoiled Far Eastern University’s bid to claim the second twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four, pulling all the needed stops to score a 73-61 win in Thursday’s game in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum. The Warriors closed out the double-round elimination with a 9-5 card to remain in fourth place, but more importantly, the win has boosted their morale as they prepare for the semifinal round where they will face the No. 1 seed Ateneo Blue Eagles, who enjoy a twice-to-beat bonus. Ateneo only needs to win one game to claim the first finals berth, while UE, swept by the Eagles in the regular season, needs to beat the Norman Black-mentored squad twice to enter the best-of-three championship series. The loss had the bigger impact on the Tamaraws who were trying to fortify their hold for the No. 2 spot and the twice-to-beat bonus that goes with it. FEU and coach Glen Capacio must now hope that defending champion La Salle Green Archers lose to the Eagles on Saturday to force a playoff for the second spot. A La Salle win against Ateneo gives the Archers the twice-to-beat incentive and will let them face FEU in the semis. An Archers’ loss will mean La Salle and FEU will have a best-of-three series, with one game a playoff for the No. 2 ranking and two games in the Final Four. At one point, the Red Warriors seemed to show the same signs in its first round loss to the Tamaraws, where they blew a double-digit lead and allowed their opponents to escape with a 71-69 win. FEU trimmed UE’s double-digit lead to six a number of times the last time at 63-57 with two minutes and 34 seconds left in the game. Marnel Baracael’s three-pointer ended that FEU 9-5 exchange to answer James Martinez’s triple at the other end. UE played with much poise after that, with Elmer Espiritu’s putback, off a Martinez missed layup, starting off a Warriors’ closing 10-4 run. UE’s defense also held their own against FEU’s big men as Espiritu, Narciso Llagas, and Raphael Reyes had crucial defensive stops that secured the Warriors’ victory. Reyes’s pesky defense resulted in consecutive steals for UE as he forced the usually reliable Andy Barroca to commit back-to-back turnovers. Barroca’s errors came in the final two minutes of the match with FEU needing to score. Llagas paced the Warriors scoring with 17 points behind a seven-of-12 shooting on the floor. He also grabbed seven rebounds, had one assist and two block shots in 30 minutes of play. Martinez backed him up with 16 markers, three rebounds, and two assists while Paul Lee added 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Paul Zamar and Reyes came off the bench and combined for 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and six steals also for UE. Benedict Fernandez led FEU with 16 points, four rebounds, and one blocked shot, while Reil Cervantes and Aldrech Ramos added 10 points each. Barroca, who averaged 20 points in FEU’s last three games, was held to only seven points as Warriors coach Dindo Pumaren put in fresh legs to pester the Tamaraws’ high-scoring guard. Barroca’s season-low was six points in FEU’s 74-69 win vs UST on August 17. - GMANews.TV