Marc Burgos sank the game-winning free throw as Far Eastern University-Diliman handed National University Nazareth School its first loss, 79-78, in the UAAP Season 88 Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Sunday morning at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
After Shaun Lucido made a perfect trip to the free throw line to tie the game at 78-all with 4.8 seconds left, the Baby Tamaraws — led by two-time UAAP champion coach Mike Reyes — ran a flawless play that saw Yosef Raneses toss an inbound alley-oop pass to Burgos.
The 6-foot-5 forward from Nueva Ecija didn’t convert the alley-oop, but he drew a shooting foul on Corian Cabantog with 1.1 seconds left. Burgos made his first free throw, missed the second, and Raneses grabbed the offensive rebound to seal FEU-D’s comeback victory, bouncing back from a 71-90 loss to Ateneo de Manila University last Wednesday.
“That’s a regular inbound, that’s an option talaga for us kaya alam na alam talaga nila yung gagawin. That’s an option, to toss an alley-oop. Four seconds, we drew something to get Cabonilas a shot, it did not work, kaya with two seconds left, that’s a regular inbound,” FEU-D head coach Mike Reyes said.
Burgos’ heroics were a product of the Baby Tamaraws’ collective effort, as FEU-D methodically chipped away at a seven-point deficit, 69-76, with 2:47 remaining.
Cabonilas, Gambian center Assan Gaye, and Burgos scored consecutive inside baskets to cut the deficit to 75-76. Cabonilas — a Season 87 Elite Team member — then drilled a go-ahead triple, giving the Baby Tamaraws a 78-76 lead with 18.9 seconds left. Lucido tied it at 78-all from the free throw line, before Burgos delivered the pressure-packed, game-winning free throw to propel FEU-D to a tie with NUNS in the standings at 2-1.
Cabonilas finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal. Sam Hall added 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Jheremy Godoy contributed 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Burgos overcame early foul trouble to finish with nine points, four rebounds, and three assists.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For NUNS, Lucido led with 20 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. Kurl Figueroa recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, and one steal, while Malian center Moussa Diakite scored 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting, adding four blocks, three rebounds, and one steal.
Chad Cartel and Cabantog had six points each, while Mot Matias finished with four points, eight assists, four rebounds, and two steals before being ejected at the 5:21 mark of the third quarter for two unsportsmanlike fouls.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Meanwhile, defending champion University of Santo Tomas notched its first win of the season with a strong second-half performance in a wire-to-wire 79-70 victory over Adamson University.
The Tiger Cubs opened the third quarter with a pivotal 11-2 run — capped by a Wacky Ludovice layup — to build a 19-point lead at 57-38. UST maintained control heading into the fourth quarter, stretching the advantage to a game-high 78-51 with 5:04 left, thanks to free throws from Jhon Canapi and LJ Lapastora and layups from Tomas Cruz and Daniel Sta. Maria.
Adamson fought back with a 19-1 run, highlighted by a four-point swing from Jarl Artango and a Bill Garcia layup, but UST’s 27-point cushion proved insurmountable.
“Masaya kami na nakuha na namin yung first win namin kasi talagang nakaranas kami ng two heartbreaker ng talo talaga ‘eh. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, move on na, start na sana tayo ng maganda today and okay naman ang naging kinalabasan,” UST head coach Manu Inigo said.
Nigerian center Ola Ajani posted 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ludovice added nine points, three assists, two steals, and one rebound.
Canapi contributed nine points and one steal, and co-captains Charles Esteban, Simon Pulongbarit, and Lapastora chipped in eight points each. Skipper Kirk Cañete was limited to one point but finished with 10 assists, seven rebounds, and one steal.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Adamson’s Mac Jenodia led the Baby Falcons with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block, followed by Kieff Iledan with 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Chrys Gomez and Jarl Artango added eight points each in Adamson’s second loss in three games.
The Scores:
First Game:
UST (79) – Ajani 12, Ludovice 9, Canapi 9, Esteban 8, Lapastora 8, Pulongbarit 8, Melano 7, Sta. Maria 6, Bandigan 3, Acido 3, Vidanes 2, Cruz 2, Cañete 1, Bohol 1, Bathan 0, Candare 0.
AdU (70) – Jenodia 11, Iledan 10, Gomez 8, Artango 8, Flores 7, Garcia 6, Eiman 5, Frogoso 4, Bautista 3, Saygo 3, Matillano 3, Salog 2, Babad 0, Fongtong 0, Alcartado 0, Gonzales 0.
Quarterscores: 30-19, 46-36, 72-51, 79-70.
Second Game:
FEU-D (79) – Cabonilas 22, Hall 13, Godoy 11, Burgos 9, Alagaban 8, Gaye 7, Raneses 4, Carinno 4, Santos 1, Cagurungan 0, Dagcutan 0, Esperanza 0, Sohm 0.
NUNS (78) – Lucido 20, Figueroa 17, Diakite 16, Cartel 6, Cabantog 6, Matias 4, Juan 4, Celiz 3, Bouzina 2, Natinga 0, Mann 0, Timbang 0.
Quarterscores: 18-16, 41-42, 54-57, 79-78.
