“Kelangan ko maibalik ang lahat ng naibigay sa akin ng FEU.”
Those were the words FEU senior Mac Belo told Tiebreaker Times after Game One.
UAAP Season 78 Men’s Basketball Most Valuable Player Mac Belo remained consistent throughout the series, even powering through cramps to help deliver the Far Eastern University Tamaraws’ 20th UAAP Men’s Basketball crown, 67–62, over their neighbors, the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, Wednesday afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Unlike the first two games of the series, the Growling Tigers came out firing, racing to a 9–5 lead behind the midrange prowess of senior foreign student-athlete Karim Abdul. With FEU struggling offensively, coach Nash Racela was forced to bring in Belo at the 6:49 mark. Belo immediately made an impact with a transition basket, but Abdul and Ed Daquioag continued to push the pace to extend UST’s lead to 13–7. Free throws kept FEU afloat—converting seven of eight attempts—while a stepback jumper by Mike Tolomia with 1:04 left trimmed the deficit to 19–18 entering the second quarter.
FEU briefly seized a 24–22 advantage off a long corner jumper by Russel Escoto and a picture-perfect fastbreak layup by Tolomia midway through the period. But as the Tamaraws tried to build momentum, Louie Vigil and Abdul sparked a 6–0 counter to reclaim the lead. Still, Belo powered FEU into the break with a 6–2 run, capped by a three-point play, to forge a 30–30 deadlock at halftime.
Kevin Ferrer opened the third quarter with only his second field goal of the game, but FEU responded swiftly. Senior Francis Tamsi buried two triples, and Belo added two midrange jumpers to push the Tamaraws ahead, 40–34, with 6:23 remaining. The surge continued as Belo and RR Pogoy combined to give FEU the largest lead of the game, 51–41, with 1:28 left. UST, however, closed the quarter strong, with free throws from Kent Lao and a buzzer-beating corner three by Marvin Lee cutting the FEU advantage to 51–46 entering the final frame.
Just 31 seconds into the fourth, Belo cramped up. With Ferrer struggling to even get touches, UST needed production elsewhere. Daquioag answered, scoring six points to fuel a stunning 16–0 rally, turning the tide and putting UST ahead 57–51 with 6:03 remaining. Racela quickly called timeout to regroup and reinsert Belo.
Out of the huddle, Belo bulldozed his way to a layup, but Daquioag countered with a bank shot. Pogoy then went on a personal 4–0 burst—a fastbreak layup and a jumper—to pull FEU within one, 59–58. After a UST timeout, rookie Lee misfired on two triples and Lao split at the line with 1:46 left. Crisp execution from Escoto and Pogoy led to a top-of-the-key three by Pogoy to give FEU the lead. Another Lee miss from deep resulted in a Tolomia fastbreak finish for a 63–60 FEU edge with 1:01 left, prompting UST head coach Bong dela Cruz to use his final timeout.
Daquioag drew a foul from Belo and sank two free throws, but Tolomia could only split his own, leaving UST a chance to tie. Off a loose ball, the Tigers gained possession—only for Abdul to step out of bounds with 21.7 seconds left. Belo also split at the line, restoring a three-point cushion. Off the miss, Daquioag sprinted past all five defenders but overcooked the layup. Escoto’s free throws sealed a 67–62 FEU victory as Ferrer’s desperate threes bounced off, sending the Tamaraws to their 20th championship before a roaring crowd of 23,124.
“My initial reaction was just to be thankful to the Lord,” said third-year FEU head coach Nash Racela. “It was a hard-fought game.”
“Mindset ko lang ay ibigay ko ang lahat dahil wala ng bukas,” Belo said. “Andun talaga yung pressure pero kelangan namin stumep-up para manalo.”
Belo finished with a game-high 23 points on 7/13 shooting, while hitting 9/11 from the stripe and grabbing eight rebounds in the final collegiate game of his career. Pogoy added 14 points, while Tolomia—despite a 4/17 outing—contributed 13.
Daquioag led UST with 21 points on 7/16 shooting, though he committed six turnovers. Abdul tallied 12 points and five rebounds despite foul trouble. Smart Elite ambassador Ferrer, shadowed all afternoon by Belo and Pogoy, was held to just seven attempts and six points in his final UAAP appearance.
UST actually shot better from the field at 37.5% compared to FEU’s 33%, but the Tamaraws dominated the glass 45–37 and outshot the Tigers from the free-throw line, 21/26 to 16/25.
With the win, Far Eastern University continues its streak of securing at least one basketball championship each decade since the UAAP’s inception. They also widen their lead over UST in all-time UAAP Men’s Basketball championships, now holding a two-title cushion.
The Scores:
FEU (67) – Belo 23, Pogoy 14, Tolomia 13, Tamsi 6, Escoto Ru. 5, Inigo 3, Jose 2, Orizu 1, Arong 0, Dennison 0, Escoto Ri. 0, Trinidad 0.
UST (62) – Daquioag 21, Abdul 12, Lee 9, Ferrer 6, Lao 6, Vigil 6, Bonleon 2, Faundo 0, Huang 0, Sheriff 0.
Quarterscores: 18-19, 30-30, 51-46, 67-62.
