Warriors force rubber match with Barroca-less Tamaraws

(Update) University of the East rode on the hot shooting of guard Paul Lee to beat an Andy Mark Barroca-less Far Eastern U side, 84-74, and force a rubber match in their Final Four matchup Saturday in the UAAP Season 72 men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum. Lee fired four long triples in a telling 16-5 bomb that allowed the Red Warriors to overturn a one-point deficit and erect an 84-74 cushion entering the final 1:21. The veteran Lee, taking advantage of the absence of the controversial Barroca and the inexperience of FEU rookie guard Ryan Garcia, finished with a career-high 26 points (six triples) along with eight rebounds and seven assists. UE coach Lawrence Chongson was not at all surprised with the sizzling performance of his 6-1 guard, who actually scored 14 of the Warriors’ last 16 points. “I’ve been with him (Lee) for almost a year na. I’ve seen those shots time and again from him. Siguro ngayon it came at a very special time kasi our backs are against the wall," said Chongson, whose No. 3 seeded Warriors would take on the No. 2 ranked Tamaraws again on Thursday in a sudden death duel to determine the qualifier to the best-of-three finals. It was the seventh straight win dating back to the eliminations for the Warriors, who also drew solid games from veteran big man Narciso Llagas (19 points, 12 rebounds and one block) and Val Acuña (17). Aside from keeping their finals hopes alive, the Recto-based dribblers also made a breakthrough in their otherwise fruitless Final Four stints the last 11 years. “Coming in here, ngayon ko lang nalaman na first win pala ito ng UE sa Final Four since 1998," Chongson noted. Barroca out of Tams' lineup The Tams did not field in erstwhile team leader Barroca, who had a falling out with the team over allegations of game-fixing, in their important showdown with their U-Belt neighbors. “With the objective of improving team chemistry, the FEU Tamaraws have decided to play our Final Four game today without Mark Barroca," the team said in a press statement issued before the game. After the game, though, FEU athletic director Mark Molina said the Tamaraws had altogether delisted Barroca from their roster for the remainder of the season and even beyond. “He won’t play for the rest of the season, he probably won’t play for the FEU Tamaraws anymore," Molina said. He stressed though that FEU is not kicking Barroca out of the school. “The last time we talked with Mark, we told him that he’ll still be a student. He’s scheduled to graduate October 2010 and his scholarship will remain until he finishes his studies at FEU," said Molina. Barroca had himself expressed his desire to leave the Tamaraws and instead concentrate on his playing career with the Smart Gilas national team, according to his manager Ed Ponceja. But against the Warriors, it was apparent Barroca’s leadership at the point was missed by the Tams. The player supposed to fill in for him, Garcia, was totally outplayed by Lee and his crucial error on an inbounds play and a missed a layup in the middle of the Warriors’ rampage proved costly for the Morayta-based crew. - GMANews.TV