The Far Eastern University prepared well to stop the University of the Philippines from surging through the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament and took a 78-59 win on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tamaraws clinched their third straight win for a 4-2 card and climbed to solo third in the team standings, while the Fighting Maroons fell to fourth place with a 3-2 slate.
“It was a defensive game for us, because it is our first time this year to limit a team below 60 points,” said FEU Coach Olsen Racela. “I think timing them na we caught them on an off night. Yung mga napasok nilang shots noong last game against La Salle, hindi pumapasok ngayon.”
UP tried to salvage the game and made a 6-0 run early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 10, 58-48, after a basket by Ibrahim Ouattara and Juan Gomez de Liano’s triple.
However, the FEU Tamaraws answered back with an 18-1 run with Ron Dennison and Jasper Parker combining for 12 points. FEU kept their pace and led by as much as 27 points, 76-49.
Dennison led FEU with 17 points and six rebounds, while Richard Escoto added 12 points. Prince Orizu also chipped in eight points and 14 rebounds.
On the other hand, UP shot a horrid 31 percent from the field.
Ouattara led UP with a double-double 17 points and 13 rebounds along with two blocks as Paul Desiderio, on the other hand, was awfully limited to only nine points after finishing with his career-high 30 points against La Salle.
Juan Gomez De Liano added 16 points in the losing effort.
