UAAP: FEU Tamaraws vs NU Bulldogs round two preview and live-scoring

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The league-leading 7-0 Far Eastern University Tamaraws will try to keep their record immaculate, when they clash against 4-3 National University Bulldogs, who are looking to make back-to-back trips to the Final Four, Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Round one encounter

The FEU Tams looked like they were going to out-class their opposition, getting out to a 15-4 start that they stretched to a mighty 79-60 lead on a Carl Bryan Cruz triple, 5:32 left in the game.

However, that was when the Bulldogs went repeatedly to their one-two punch of center Emmanuel Mbe and reigning two-time MVP Bobby Ray Parks. The duo unleashed an 18-3 blast that pulled them to within four, 82-78, with 46 seconds left, turning a blowout into a tense thriller.

Terrence Romeo and Jeoffrey Javillonar exchanged makes, but after an RR Garcia split at the line, back-up Robin Rono hit a huge three-pointer with eight seconds left to pull NU within two, 85-83. Forced to foul, the Bulldogs put Romeo on the line, and he made a pair of clutch free throws to put the game away, with the final score reading 87-83.

Key match-up:

Terrence Romeo - FEU		Bobby Ray Parks - NU
36 mins, 24 points (6/10 3P, 8/17 FG, 2/2 FT), 3 rebs, 5 asts, 1 stl, 4 TOs	Round one output	32 mins, 26 points (1/6 3P, 6/20 FG, 1315 FT), 8 rebs, 3 TOs
29.9	Minutes per game	32.9
22.6	Points per game	18.9
33.3	3P%	25.0
4.4	Free throw attempts	10.7
6.3	Rebounds per game	9.4
4.1	Assists per game	4.4

This game will be a battle of contrasting styles, with FEU boasting of the best offense after seven games (80.6 points/game) versus the best defense in that period, with NU giving up just 66.1 markers an outing.

However, the defense of the Tams should not be overlooked either, as they're allowing opponents to shoot just 34.9 percent from the field, 22.6 percent from downtown. The Bulldogs on the other hand allow 38.9 percent on two-pointers, just a shade better than FEU's 40.8 percent allowed clip.  

It's a given that RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo for FEU, and Emmanuel Mbe and Bobby Ray Parks for NU will do the heavy-lifting for their respective sides, but the team with the better supporting cast could wind up winning this one. FEU has the likes of Mike Tolomia, Mark Belo and Roger Pogoy to chip in if needed, while on the flip side, NU's scoring options are more inconsistent. The team's next top-scorer is Gelo Alolino at 6.6 points per game, and they get a league-worst 16.6 points on average from their bench.