Tams show force vs Tigers; Bulldogs escape Falcons’ fight

It did not matter if the Tamaraws won by an average of two points in four of its five wins in the first round, leaving doubts about their credibility in winning big games. They simply needed a morale-boosting win to open the crucial second round of hoops competition.

Back-to-back runners-up Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws shot an extraordinary 61 per cent on the field today, routing erstwhile league leader University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 87-60, at the start of seniors men’s hoops action at the Mall of Asia Arena today.

Getting its first double digit lead, 18-8, halfway in the opening quarter, the Tamaraws’ offensive arsenal staved off any Tiger rally by burning the hoops with sizzling shots from inside and out.

“Naunahan lang talaga namin yung UST. Nawalan sila ng kumpyansa at minaintain lang namin ang intensity naming,” Tamaraw shooting forward Roger Pogoy said at the post game interview. He led the Tamaraws with his first career double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.

FEU coach Bert Flores, not contented with the team’s first round performance despite finishing at solo third, attributed the win to the team’s excellent ball movement and its resolve not to relinquish a big lead.

On August 17, the Tamaraws erected a 10-point halftime lead only to lose against finals rival Ateneo Blue Eagles.

It was an erratic game for the Tigers, who were on a six-game winning streak prior to the blowout loss. Coach Pido Jarencio’s wards, the league’s best in three-point shooting, shot an atrocious 20 per cent from beyond the arc and 35 per cent from the field.

Both teams are currently tied at second and third place with  6-2 record as the Blue Eagles sits idly on top at 6-1.

In the first game, the National University (NU) Bulldogs survived a furious end-of-regulation run by the Adamson Soaring Falcons to beat them, 80-77, in overtime.

Last year’s third placer turned on the panic switch at the last 40 seconds, tying the game at 71 off three desperation treys sparked by point guard Ryan Monteclaro, forcing three successive turnovers, Falcon shooting forward Roider Cabrera shot two open three-pointers to save the game for Adamson at the end of regulation. However, the Bulldogs pounded the shaded lane in overtime, mounting an insurmountable 8-0 run to start overtime hostilities.

Reigning most valuable player Bobby Ray Parks scored 31 points, his second straight 30-point output, to lead the season host while African center Emmanuel Mbe tallied 14 points and 20 rebounds. NU is at solo fourth place with a 5-3 mark. The Falcons, led by Cabrera who scored a career-high 22 points, drop to last place at 1-7.