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MANILA, Philippines – What a time for Norbert Torres to break out of his slump.
The burly forward-center erupted for 10 of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to push De La Salle University to an exciting 69-66 triumph over Far Eastern University, giving them the last slot in the Final Four of the 75th UAAP men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Down by 10 early in the final period, Torres spearheaded a late-game charge that saw the Green Archers go on a 17-0 run that gave them a 67-60 lead with less than a minute left in the game.
The win, achieved before a predominantly La Salle crowd, catapulted the Archers into the semifinals, where they will go against arch rival Ateneo de Manila University, which holds a twice-to-beat advantage.
“I just wanted to do what the coaches wanted me to do,” Torres said after the game. “[The coaching staff] saw it in me the whole season and they trusted me in this game.”
Torres’ breakout gave color to what was otherwise a dull day for the Taft-based squad, who trailed for most of the game before turning the heat on in the last six minutes.
Behind the hot hands of Terrence Romeo and Mark Bringas, the Tamaraws controlled the tempo for the first three periods.
But the Morayta-based squad could not sustain their attack, fading when it mattered most–losing their third straight game and tumbling out of the playoff picture.
“We just refused to lose,” said coach Gee Abanilla, who barged into the postseason in only his first year with the Archers. “FEU tried to pull away but we just hung tough.”
The loss booted the Tamaraws out of the semifinals for the first time since 2007, punctuating an anemic second-round performance.
Torres added 13 rebounds while Jeron Teng, a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award, tallied 15 points. Almond Vosotros had 8 markers, 8 rebounds and 3 steals for La Salle. – Rappler.com
Meanwhile, Romeo posted 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Bringas, in his last game for the Green and Gold, chipped in with 12 points on 67% shooting.
DLSU, 69: N. Torres 21, Teng 15, Vosotros 9, Van Opstal 8, T. Torres 7, Mendoza 7, Andrada 2, Webb 0, Manguera 0, Tampus 0, Revilla 0
FEU, 66: Romeo 13, M. Bringas 12, Garcia 8, Hargrove 7, Mendoza 7, Pogoy 6, Belo 5, Escoto 4, A. Bringas 2, Tolomia 2, Sentcheu 0, Foronda 0, Cruz 0
Quarter scoring: 13-19, 28-35, 46-52, 69-66
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