FEU completes sweep after scraping past Adamson

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) — Far Eastern University’s winning run almost came to a screeching halt.

Until Terrence Romeo decided to take the matters into his own hands.

The Tamaraws rode on Romeo’s heroics to complete a sweep of the first round with a 74-71 victory over hard-fighting Adamson University in the 76th UAAP men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, July 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Romeo came away with a season-best 26 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and issued two assists to lead the way for FEU while Roger Pogoy and former MVP RR Garcia chipped in 9 markers each.

“Of course it’s an accomplishment (7-0),” said Tamaraws head coach Nash Racela. “Yes it is, but we don’t accomplish anything if we don’t accomplish our goal.”

Hot and cold

FEU turned to its sleek-running game and took advantage of Adamson’s flat start to end the first quarter, 20-13, after a Garcia triple.

But prolific swingman Jericho Cruz waxed hot in the second period, scoring 10 points while also getting ample help from the imposing inside presence of Rodney Brondial and Ingrid Sewa to grab the lead from the Tamaraws, 37-36.

Both teams battled nip-and-tuck in the 3rd but the Falcons had the last say with a 7-2 run behind unheralded Don Trollano and Lloyd Abrigo to end the quarter leading 56-54.

Taking charge

With Adamson keeping the game close in the final canto, Romeo decided to flaunt his deadly form, scoring 10 points in the payoff period as FEU swept the first round for the first time since Season 73 — a year they reached the finals.

A Harry Petilos trey gave the Falcons its last taste of the lead, 61-58 before the Tams dropped a crippling 11-2 binge behind Anthony Hargrove, Mike Tolomia, Christian Sentcheu and Romeo capped by the latter’s triple to take a 69-63 cushion.

The San Marcelino-based dribblers refused to lose, though.

Roider Cabrera sank a trey of his own to shove Adamson to within 69-71 with 48.2 seconds left in the game.

Romeo, with the clock winding down, then buried a backbreaking triple off his signature killer crossover from the top of the key with only 24.6 ticks remaining to give FEU a 74-69 buffer.

The Tamaraws then committed a 5-second inbound violation as Cruz would score for one last time, 71-74. But it proved to be too little, too late for the Falcons as Ar-raouf Julkipli missed a desperation 3-pointer.

“It’s gonna be hard regardless who you face,” quipped Racela, whose wards shot 43.1% from the two-point range. “They took it upon themselves to play together.”

Cruz paced the Falcons with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Sewa and Brondial wounded up with 13 markers apiece for Adamson, who slid to 3-4. – Rappler.com