SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – The FEU Tamaraws carried their newfound winning momentum straight through the second round of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament with a 75-68 comeback victory against the reeling UE Red Warriors at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, October 30.
Sniper Xyrus Torres flashed his two-way form with multiple game-highs of 22 points built on 6-of-12 shooting from deep to go with 5 steals as the Tamaraws earned their third straight win for a 3-5 record.
Lead guard LJay Gonzales likewise had big contributions to the winning cause with 14 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block, while big man Pat Tchuente finished with a 13-point, 11-board double-double.
FEU looked headed for a terrible start to the second round after going down 0-12 to UE straight from tip-off. However, the no-quit Tamaraws patiently chipped away at the deficit and eventually broke even at the 6:23 mark of the third quarter off a tying Torres triple, 45-all.
FEU carried this momentum right into the payoff period, where Collegiate Press Corps Player of the Week Bryan Sajonia drilled an open three to push his team to a game-high 14-point separation, 65-51, and cap off a massive 31-9 run from a 34-42 halftime deficit.
Although UE squeezed out a 12-2 comeback attempt to get within 63-67 off Nikko Paranada’s efforts, the run came just a bit too late as Tchuente helped put the game out of reach with consecutive short stabs for a 71-63 lead at the 1:26 mark of regulation.
“Of course, we’re trying to ride that momentum late in the first round. Although UE had a great start, we got caught off guard with that and we weren’t expecting that,” said FEU head coach Olsen Racela in Filipino.
“My players stuck to the game plan. We had problems at the start, but it was our team defense which gave us the win.”
The elder Paranada led the losing cause with 21 points – 15 coming in the first half – plus 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals, while big men Luis Villegas and Gani Stevens scored 13 apiece and combined for 19 boards.
FEU aims to further extend its winning streak on Wednesday, November 2, 4:30 pm, as it faces a La Salle side playing without their top playmaker Evan Nelle, who has been slapped with a one-game suspension and was unable to serve it last Saturday, October 29, due to the Typhoon Paeng postponement.
Meanwhile, UE will try to arrest a three-game slide at 11 am against the last-place UST Growling Tigers, who are also trying to snap a league-high six-game skid.
The Scores
FEU 75 – Torres 22, Gonzales 14, Tchuente 13, Sajonia 6, Añonuevo 5, Sleat 4, Bautista 4, Bagunu 3, Tempra 2, Celzo 2, Alforque 0, Sandagon 0.
UE 68 – N. Paranada 21, Stevens 13, Villegas 13, Payawal 9, K. Paranada 6, Sawat 4, Pagsanjan 2, Remogat 0, Alcantara 0, Guevarra 0, Antiporda 0, Beltran 0.
Quarters: 8-23, 34-42, 55-51, 75-68.
– Rappler.com
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