UAAP: Tams charge into UAAP Finals

Tams charge into UAAP Finals

By Josiah Israel Albelda

16 September 2010

Terrence Romeo was still sweating profusely as he entered the press room. He just came from a battle that was not only bruising --- but draining as well. It was too much for a rookie. Too much for an 18-year-old.


Luckily for Far Eastern University, Romeo --- all five feet and nine inches of him --- was more than up to the challenge.


The newly-minted Rookie of the Year delivered in the clutch as the Tamaraws ousted host De La Salle University, 69 - 59, to barge into the Finals of Season 73 of the UAAP men's basketball tournament Thursday before a wild crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.


In a match that looked more like a slugfest in the early goings, Romeo showed the composure of a champion, draining a trey in the dying moments of the fourth quarter and leading the Morayta-based five's charge in overtime as they returned to the Finals for the first time since 2005.


"Masaya talaga ako dahil nakapasok na kami sa Finals," the Cebu native told reporters. "Hindi ko pa naranasan ito dati."


It was actually sweet revenge for Romeo, whose Baby Tamaraws were swept in the Final Four last season by the De La  Salle Zobel Junior Archers.


"Gusto ko talaga sila bawian," quipped the freshman, who finished with 12 points, five boards and two steals.


With the hard-earned win, FEU is on track to bring back home the trophy they have copped a record 19 times in league history.


It also brought four-year coach Glenn Capacio closer to his dream of getting a UAAP championship.


"Masarap pala makapasok sa Finals," the former PBA ace shared in jest. "Ipinakita talaga ng mga bata yung puso nila sa laban na ito. Hindi ako masaya sa officiating pero hindi ako bumitaw para sa kanila."


The game was so hotly contested that ace Tamaraw and Smart Gilas standout JR Cawaling was thrown out of the game in the second quarter after his shoving of Simon Atkins earned him an unsportsmanlike foul and a subsequent technical foul after warding off a referee who was calming them down.


Cawaling will likely be suspended for the first game of the Finals, which starts next Sunday.


Even Capacio lost his cool early in the fourth quarter, almost throwing a punch on a referee, that cost him a technical foul as the Green Archers took a 49-42 lead with around seven minutes remaining.


The Taft-based squad inflated the lead to nine at 51-42 before the Tamaraws came back charging behind Romeo and designated gunner Paul Sanga to send the game into extension at 55-all.


Then FEU took it from there, limiting La Salle to only four points in five minutes while scoring 14 themselves to set up a date with either defending back-to-back Ateneo de Manila or Adamson next week.


League Most Valuable Player Ryan Roose Garcia was dismal in his second Final Four stint as the Archers' pesky defense limited him to 11 points on a horrible five-of-19 shooting. He also had four turnovers in a back-breaking 40-minute turn.


The Zamboanga native, however, had nine rebounds as the Tamaraws defined board domination with 64 to their foes' 46.


Reil Cervantes pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds (eight offensive) while Aldrech Ramos grabbed 10 (four offensive).


Spider Webb tallied 15 points for the hosts, which have had a memorable season stopped short. No other player scored in double digits for La Salle.


Archer sharpshooters were terribly off-target with Simon Atkins, Samuel Marata and Joseph Tolentino combining for three-of-24 from rainbow territory. They shot five-of-34 overall.


Atkins bade goodbye to his UAAP career with seven points, four assists, three steals and a mind-boggling seven turnovers.


"We actually had control of the game," said Coach Dindo Pumaren, who admitted that his wards' relative inexperience and youth showed out in the endgame.


"But I am proud of my boys," he added. "Nobody expected us to be here but we almost got to the Finals. We had a dream but we were not able to fulfill it. I hope that next year we could get our act together."


The scores:


FEU (69) - Romeo 12, Sanga 12, Garcia 11, Ramos 9, Cervantes 9, Noundou 8, Mendoza 2, Bringas 2, Knuttel 2, Exciminiano 2, Cruz 0, Cawaling 0


DLSU (59) - Webb 15, Mendoza 7, Atkins 7, Andrada 7, Tolentino 6, Marata 6, Dela Paz 5, Vosotros 2, Tampus 2, Villanueva 2, Paredes 0, Ferdinand 0


Quarterscores: 20-12, 26-32, 40-44, 50-55, 69-59