RJ Abarrientos did not allow Far Eastern University to suffer a meltdown as they used a strong finish to secure their third straight win with a 67-62 victory over De La Salle University in the UAAP Season 84 Men’s Basketball Tournament, Tuesday morning, at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Abarrientos and the Tamaraws showed their aggressiveness early on as their hot start allowed them to end the first half with a 42-29 advantage. However, the Green Archers came out of halftime with renewed energy, especially on defense as they held their opponents to only five points in the third quarter.
Up 63-59 with a minute left in the fourth quarter, L-Jay Gonzales found Patrick Sleat who drained a three-ball in the left wing to further stretch FEU’s lead to seven. Mark Nonoy was then fouled on his own three-point attempt but only went 2-of-3 from the line.
After being fouled with 7.7 seconds remaining, Michael Phillips also split his charities to make it 66-62 in favor of the Tamaraws. The Green Archers eventually ran out of time as they succumbed to a narrow loss for their second straight defeat.
“At the half, ‘yun ung sinabi ko sa kanila. We have to play 40 minutes of great basketball to beat La Salle. We played a bad third quarter. Sinabi ko nga sa kanila na it’s not about our offense but our defense,” Olsen Racela claimed. “Luckily nung fourth quarter, we stepped it up defensively and executed on offense — getting the much needed stops and much-needed baskets also. Naswerte rin kami because La Salle didn’t have Winston today so we just took advantage of that opportunity.”
With the win, the Tamaraws further boosted their Final Four bid as they continue to hold onto the fourth spot with a 6-6 record. Meanwhile, the Green Archers slid down to a 7-5 tally for the third seed as they have yet to secure a Final Four spot thus far.
Abarrientos led FEU’s charge with 21 points built on five three-pointers to go with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in close to 25:30 minutes of action.
Xyrus Torres added 14 points on four treys while Patrick Sleat chipped in 10 points and four rebounds of his own. L-Jay Gonzales also notched nine points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
The Tamaraws used their sweet stroke from beyond the arc to edge out their opponents after shooting 48.1 percent from three as compared to the Green Archers’ 17.2 percent. Bench production was also key for FEU in this game after outscoring DLSU, 38-18, in this department.
Evan Nelle headlined the Green Archers with 15 points on four three-pointers along with seven rebounds and five assists. Justine Baltazar followed with 13 points and 16 rebounds while Kurt Lojera added 10 points and seven assists.
Meanwhile, Schonny Winston didn’t get to suit up in this game due to back spasms.
Both schools shall next play on Thursday at the SM MOA Arena. De La Salle University (7-5) faces Adamson (5-6) at 4:30 PM while Far Eastern University (6-6) takes on Ateneo De Manila University (11-0) afterward at 7:00 PM.
The Scores:
FEU 67 – Abarrientos 21, Torres 14, Sleat 10, Gonzales 9, Ojuola 4, Sajonia 3, Alforque 2, Tempra 2, Celzo 2, Sandagon 0, Bienes 0.
DLSU 62 – Nelle 15, Baltazar 13, Lojera 10, M. Phillips 7, Nwankwo 6, Nonoy 4, Austria 4, Cuajao 3, Manuel 0, B. Phillips 0, Cu 0, Galman 0.
Quarterscores: 25-15, 42-29, 47-49, 67-62.
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