The Far Eastern University Tamaraws picked it up in the fourth quarter and denied the Mapua Institute Cardinals any hope of an upset, 99-84, to take their fourth consecutive victory in as many games, Sunday afternoon at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
With a perfect 4-0 record, the Morayta-based squad took the lead in Group B, while keeping the Cards at a 0-6 record.
Forward RJ Ramirez paced the Tams with 18 points, one steal and one rebound. However, it was the huge all-around play of Jasper Parker of 17 markers, five rebounds, and six assists that sealed the FEU victory.
The Tamaraws bucked on a strong second quarter and picked up the pace in the third to eventually post a huge 16-point advantage at 66-50 with an Alec Stockton drive.
Super senior Andoy Estrella tried to carry the red-shirts for a comeback and spearheaded a rally to cut the deficit to eight, 66-74, early in the fourth quarter.
Nonetheless, FEU buckled down on defense and executed faster in transition to pull away from Mapua. An Eboña layup with six minutes left was enough to put away the win, as they posted an 82-69 lead.
As his team had posted huge numbers on offense at 55 percent field goal percentage and 25 assists, FEU head coach Olsen Racela commented, “I told them, ‘For a 40-minute game, we should be looking for each other.’ We did the other game, and we did it again.”
The former PBA stalwart however, noted that they also gave up 84 points. “We should also work on our defense,” he said. Nonetheless, Racela was pleased with their offensive outing and the win.
The Tamaraws will put their unbeaten record at stake when they battle with the University of the Philippines (3-0) on Wednesday, May 31, at 5 pm.
Estrella steered Mapua with 17 points and five assists, while Cedric Pelayo at 15 markers.
The Cardinals will attempt to snatch that elusive win as they close their campaign against the Emilio Aguinaldo College (2-3) on June 14, Wednesday, at 1:30 pm.
The Scores:
FEU (99) – Ramirez 18, Tolentino 17, Parker 14, Escoto 7, Biernes 7, Ebona 7, Dennison 6, Orizu 5, Nunag 5, Inigo 4, Bayquin 3, Tuffin 2, Stockton 2, Denila 2, Comboy 0, Trinidad 0.
MU (84) – Estrella 17, Pelayo 15, Victoria 11, Bunag 9, Raflores 8, Serrano 7, Nieles 6, Gamboa 6, Orquina 5.
Quarterscores: 26-20, 52-42, 72-62, 99-84
