UAAP: Tams punish Maroons

Tams punish Maroons, inch closer to top seed

FEU bench shames UP's, 36-4

By Josiah Israel Albelda

5 September 2010

No upset this time. Call it no mercy.


Far Eastern University inched closer to securing the top seed after crushing still-winless University of the Philippines, 70 - 48, for their 11th victory in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.


There was no letting up for the Tamaraws as they bucked a slow start to drop a crippling 24-2 bomb bridging the first and second quarters that took the fight out of the luckless Fighting Maroons, which crashed to their 13th straight loss.


The win, likewise, served as a buffer for the Morayta-based five, who will meet rival and defending back-to-back champion Ateneo de Manila on Saturday.


"Mahirap pala if you play a non-bearing game and you have four players running for the Mythical Five," coach Glenn Capacio told reporters of his team's lackluster start.


"Nawala kami sa sistema."


Leading MVP candidates Ryan Roose Garcia and Aldrech Ramos, and standouts Terrence Romeo and Reil Cervantes are all slugging out for awards this season.


Fortunately for the Tamaraws, their bench, spearheaded by Gryann Mendoza and Pippo Noundou, stepped up big time and outscored the unproductive Maroons second-stringers, 36 - 4. 


"Happy ako kase nag step up ang second stringers ko," Capacio added.  


UP's four bench points was the lowest in seven years, the last when National University managed only two markers against the Blue Eagles in August 28, 2003.


The Maroons didn't help their cause by shooting awfully awful from beyond the arc, draining only two of 23 attempts in the worst shooting performance of the season.


Also reflecting the Diliman squad's struggles is the fact that only five out of the 12 players who entered the game broke into the scoreboard.


Now, they face the prospects of yet another fruitless season. As a matter of fact, they are staring at the reality of a second 0 -14 card in four years.


UP locks horns with a rejuvenated University of the East side next Saturday as they try to avert a sweep - a complete turnaround after not a few pundits put them into Final Four consideration in the preseason.


Injuries, bad luck and a horde of other reasons, however, sent the Maroons into their worst year in recent memory.


Four players did not dress up for the game due to - you got it right - injuries: Mark Lopez, Woody Co, Carlo Gomez and Miggy Maniego.


The scores: 


FEU (70) - Garcia 12, Cervantes 9, Mendoza 8, Noundou 8, Romeo 7, Bringas 6, Ramos 6, Knuttel 6, Cawaling 5, Guerrero 2, Exciminiano 1, Cruz 0, Sanga 0


UP (48) - Padilla 17, Sison 14, Reyes 9, Pascual 4, Juruena 4, Silungan 0, Saret 0, Manuel 0, Evangelista 0, Reyes 0, Hipolito 0, Gingerich 0


Quarterscores: 7 - 8; 28 - 18; 47 - 36; 70 - 48