Far Eastern University rewarded new head coach Sean Chambers with a fitting debut by securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the Filoil EcoOil 17th ECJ Preseason Cup after taming University of Santo Tomas, 79-72, on Thursday at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
“Nothing against last year’s team, but you definitely see a different FEU team right now compared to last year’s team,” said Chambers, who had just arrived in the Philippines earlier in the morning, two months after being named the Tamaraws’ tactician.
Veejay Pre spearheaded the FEU charge with 22 points, six assists, and five rebounds, while receiving support from Royce Alforque, who scored 15 points, along with four rebounds and three assists.
Jorick Bautista and Mo Konateh also added 12 points apiece. With a 4-3 standing, they are headed to the next round as the third seed out of the UAAP group.
The trio of Alforque, Konateh, and Jedrick Daa teamed up to inflict damage on the hapless Growling Tigers in the third quarter, as they surged to a lead as large as 19 points, 60-41.
Nic Cabañero (17 points) and Peter Osang (10 points) made late-game efforts for UST, but it was all for naught as they bowed out of the preseason tournament.
The tournament is co-presented by Bostik El Heneral and ABC Tile Adhesive, with major sponsors including Smart Sports, Strong Group Athletics, and Hanes.
UST ended with a 3-4 record.
University of the Philippines (No. 1), De La Salle University (No. 2), and University of the East (No. 4) round out the representatives of the UAAP for the crossover quarterfinals on Saturday at the same venue.
Going out with a win was National University (3-4), which routed La Salle by 29 points, 81-52, behind PJ Palacielo’s 10 points and four rebounds.
Kevin Quiambao scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds for the 5-2 Green Archers, who had nothing to play for as they were already locked into the second seed.
In the NCAA bracket, Colegio de San Juan de Letran took the top spot thanks to Emilio Aguinaldo College’s 75-70 triumph over College of St. Benilde.
San Beda University (6-3) claimed the third seed after escaping gritty Arellano University, 73-70.
King Gurtiza dropped 17 points along with four rebounds and three assists for the Generals, while the Red Lions were led by James Payosing, who scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Ian Torres tallied nine points for the Blazers, who, with the loss on the last day of eliminations, slid to 7-2—tied with the Knights who own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Mapua University, meanwhile, ended with the same 5-4 record as EAC but is headed to the quarterfinals thanks to its own tiebreaker.
As for the Chiefs, who played their last game in the preseason showcase, Jeadan Ongotan fired 20 points while Renzo Abierra had 15. The showcase is also supported by Tela.com Athletics as the official outfitter and Molten as the official game ball, along with minor sponsors Reyes Barbecue, KFC, Brothers Burger, Wallem Philippines Shipping, Harbor Star Shipping Services, Akari, Jiang Nan Hotpot, and KantiGo Sports.
Lyceum of the Philippines University then went out on a high note after scraping past Jose Rizal University, 74-70.
The 3-6 Pirates were paced by John Barba and Patrick Montaño, who produced 15 and 13 points, respectively, while the 2-7 Heavy Bombers leaned on Joshua Guiab and Marvin Raymundo, who scored 16 and 15 points, respectively.
