The Far Eastern University managed to break away from University of the East late in the fourth to take a 79-63 win on Sunday in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With the win, the Tamaraws regained the fourth spot as they improved to a 6-6 card, while the Red Warriors were eliminated from the Final Four contentions after dropping to a 3-10 record.
“After the loss to UP [University of the Philippines], we really needed this win. Actually, we need more wins in our remaining games, but I thinks this is a good confidence-booster for us going into the home stretch,” said coach Olsen Racela.
FEU had a hard time fending off the Red Warriors and even trailed behind in the first half, 29-33 and even tied at 49-all in the third quarter.
However, the Tamaraws was able to take a turn in the fourth period as Arvin Tolentino capped off a 21-8 run with 3:27 left in the match.
Jasper Parker made it big for FEU with 18 points and eight assists as his family watched his game for the first time.
“Kay Jasper, it’s not about his scoring and he knows that. It’s the way he orchestrates everything for us,” added Racela.
Prinze Orizu added 14 points on a 5-for-6 shooting, along with 13 rebounds, while Tolentino, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday, had 10 markers and seven boards off the bench.
Alvin Pasaol led UE with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Mark Olayon chipped in 14 markers and six assists.
