Far Eastern University-Diliman showed no signs of rust, showcasing its depth and resilience to overcome a determined De La Salle-Zobel squad, 83-79, and secure a return to the win column in the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Both teams came off an unprecedented 21-day break.
The Baby Tamaraws were rebounding from a close 76-75 loss to the UST Tiger Cubs, while the Junior Archers had been dealt a 79-70 setback by league-leaders UE Junior Warriors, on October 16.
With this victory, the Baby Tamaraws improved to a 7-2 record, strengthening their bid for a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.
This win also widened FEU’s cushion for the second seed, now holding a two-game lead over UST, who currently sits at 5-4.
“Big factor yung mahaba naming pagpapahinga. Sabi namin mga coaches, masanay kayo na dikit ang mga laro, yan ang pinaka-magandang test. Preparation yan papunta ng Final Four,” said Baby Tamaraws head coach Muriel Garcia. “And still, wala pa kami hawak na ticket sa Final Four, kailangan pa namin manalo.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
The Junior Archers briefly took a 78-77 lead with 2:15 left after a pull-up jumper by Melvin Tailan and an inside bucket from Duncan Tan.
However, CP Miranda responded for the Baby Tamaraws when they needed it most.
Following critical errors by his teammates – a three-point airball by Duke Santos and a traveling call on Mark Dulin – Miranda nailed the go-ahead triple to put FEU-D up, 80-78, with 1:03 remaining.
FEU then leaned on their defense to secure their seventh win in nine games, repeating their 78-72 first-round victory over the Junior Archers on September 25.
Dulin blocked Tan’s hook shot attempt, while Lakay Pasinos swatted away Tailan’s layup try to deny the Junior Archers.
“Commitment yung defense ‘eh. Sinabi namin, iwan mo yung bigs, mag-concentrate tayo sa small kasi hindi naman binibigyan yung bigs, dinedecoy lang. ‘Yun siguro ang naging mindset nila kaya may crucial blocks nung dulo,” Garcia added.
Santos led the Baby Tamaraws’ charge with 20 points, two rebounds, and two steals, while Miranda added 15 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Kierdy Victoria had an efficient performance, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting with four rebounds and two steals. Anton Lopez chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
Looking forward, FEU-D will aim to build on this win when it faces Adamson University on Sunday, November 9, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, the Junior Archers, now at 4-5, share fifth place with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, making their path to the Final Four increasingly difficult.
In his return, Tailan was limited to 19 points on 5-of-16 shooting, but contributed eight rebounds and four assists.
Vince Magan added 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Josh Apao’s season-best effort of 17 points, shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, along with two rebounds and one steal, went unrewarded. Jayden Centeno contributed 10 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
DLSZ will look to keep its Final Four hopes alive in their next matchup against National University Nazareth School on Sunday, November 17, at the Filoil EcoOil Center.
The Scores:
FEU-D (83) – Santos 20, Miranda 15, Victoria 13, Lopez 10, Dulin 9, Carino 4, Pasinos 4, Enriquez 3, Pineda 3, Adriano 2, Pingris 0, Lassiter 0.
DLSZ (79) – Tailan 19, Magan 17, Apao 17, Centeno 10, Tan 6, Villaruz 5, Llamas 3, Luna 2, Maglipon 0, Purugganan 0.
Quarterscores: 26-13, 41-43, 61-64, 83-79.
