FEU bucks zero-field goal 3Q, denies La Salle outright Final Four spot in clutch finish

MANILA, Philippines – The FEU Tamaraws dug deep in the clutch to deny the skidding De La Salle Green Archers an outright UAAP Season 84 Final Four spot with a 67-62 escape at the Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday, April 26.

Once holders of a 3-6 record, the charging Tamaraws now have an even 6-6 slate off their third straight win to stay in fourth place, while the Archers get within striking distance of the fourth-seed logjam at 7-5.

RJ Abarrientos set the tone in the first quarter as he dropped 13 of his game-high 21 points in that span alone, eventually totaling an 8-of-14 clip and 5-of-11 shooting from three in 25 minutes off the bench.

Off a nightmarish third quarter where they had a whopping zero field goals in 13 attempts plus 7 turnovers, the Tamaraws got their bearings back in the final frame, and kept it close deep in the clutch, where La Salle hustle guy Michael Phillips sank a well-earned tip-in bucket for the 57-all tie at the 2:52 mark.

Then out of nowhere, FEU guards Xyrus Torres, Abarrientos, and Patrick Sleat conspired – in that order – for a booming barrage of triples in a crucial 9-2 swing for the 66-59 lead with 59.1 ticks left in regulation. Torres finished with 14 points on 4-of-9 treys, while Sleat scored 10 in 17 minutes.

After all their work to turn a 16-point second-quarter deficit, 26-42, to a 49-47 lead entering the fourth, the Archers eventually still fell in the end as FEU pulled off a well-executed endgame blitz.

“At the half, I said to them we have to play 40 minutes of great basketball to beat La Salle. We played badly in the third quarter, mainly not on offense, but defense,” said FEU head coach Olsen Racela.

“Luckily, in the fourth, we stepped it up defensively, and executed on offense. We got the much-needed stops and baskets, and we were also lucky La Salle did not have [Schonny] Winston. We just took advantage of that opportunity.”

Evan Nelle led La Salle with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists before suffering cramps after the Phillips putback play, while veteran big man Justine Baltazar chipped in a 13-point, 16-rebound double-double.

FEU, the last team to beat Ateneo way back in 2018, now shoots for a massive upset of the undefeated Blue Eagles dynasty on Thursday, April 28, 4:30 pm, while La Salle aims to stop its skid in an all-important match at 12:30 pm against the fifth-ranked Adamson Soaring Falcons.