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

UAAP: Ano raw? #2

Ano raw?

23 August 2010

(Over) heard by Josiah Israel Albelda

Photo from spot.ph

#3 "Ep-Ee-Yu! Ep-Ee-Yu! Ep-Ee-Yu!" - the throng of FEU supporters chanted as rookie Terrence Romeo drained a triple that gave the Tamaraws a good lead over UST in the middle of the final quarter.


#2 "Mga bakla! Mga pangit! Mga supot!" - a La Salle fan at the Lower Box section shouted when the Blue Babble Battalion delivered its halftime routine during the Ateneo-La Salle tussle yesterday.


#1 "Mga sexy!" - the same Archer fan screamed when cheerdancers from La Salle's Animo Squad jumped their way into the court. He added a toot of his vuvuzela for good measure.

UAAP: Crippled

Crippled

Lopez' high-flying acts gone - for now

By Josiah Israel Albelda

19 August 2010

Mark Lopez is one of the few UP players I like. Although he has been having problems manning the point for the disgruntled, demoralized and distracted Maroons, the athletic Lopez has always been there to sky high for rebounds and dive for loose balls.

Earlier today, the six-foot-two wingman suffered what apparently was a torn ACL in his right knee after a fall in UP's game against host De La Salle. After colliding with Archer rookie Jarelan Tampus in midair, Lopez landed, fell down and pointed in his knee as he helplessly sought for salvation.

He was brought out of the court in a stretcher with his right knee in heavy braces. 

Adding insult to injury was the loss of team captain Woody Co early in the fourth quarter due to an ankle sprain. Co landed awkwardly after a shot attempt and grimaced in pain. Even after getting his ankle wrapped in ice, the forward was still writhing in agony, obviously affected by what has happened to him.

With these two "developments," UP's once-promising season is quickly and surely descending into a wasted year. With no wins to show after nine games, the Maroons are in danger of equaling their infamous 0 - 14 Season 70.

Note: It is interesting to note that Coach Dindo Pumaren was one of the first to check on Lopez, who fell in front of the La Salle bench. Actually, nobody from the UP bench went to their teammate's rescue until Pumaren called for help. When Lopez was brought on a stretcher, all Green Archers went to him and gave him high-fives.

UAAP: Experience, maturity, keys in Blue and Green rematch

Tenorio, Ritualo speak up

Ateneo experience, La Salle maturity keys in Blue and Green rematch

By Josiah Israel Albelda

19 August 2010

Note: This story will appear in tomorrow's issue of Inquirer Libre. Grab one ha. :)

When De La Salle pulled a victory from under the rug of Ateneo de Manila less than a month ago, not a few were surprised with how the Green Archers showed endgame nerves totally absent last season.

Sophomore Samuel Marata drained two triples in the waning minutes and rookie Jarelan Tampus showed hustle enough to get Coach Dindo Pumaren say "He was the difference" to power the Taft-based crew to a mighty come-from-behind win.

So when the archrivals meet again this Sunday, the maturity of Pumaren's boys would be some sort of a gauge on who will take Game 2 of the Season 73 series.

On the other hand, the emergence of skipper Erik Salamat as a complete weapon and the Blue Eagles' veteran experience would surely be a cause of concern for the hosts, who will try to strengthen their stranglehold on a Final Four spot.

These views come from two distinctive alumni from both the Blue and Green. Two cagers who know what it takes to give pride to one's Alma Mater.

According to ex-Ateneo playmaker and PBA superstar LA Tenorio, the Katipunan-based quintet had a harder time in the first game because of La Salle's maturity.

"Nag mature talaga sila," said the newly-minted PBA co-Finals MVP and Mythical Team member. "Hindi sila bumigay kahit nung malaki ang lamang in the last two minutes."

"They're hungry because of what happened last season," former La Salle gunner Ren Ren Ritualo told Bilog ang Bola. "They are surprising everyone - maybe even themselves - with how they are performing."

And while the Blue Eagles' meltdown was so surprising, someone from the Blue side thinks that anything like that won't happen anytime soon.

"These guys have championship experience," shared Coach Norman Black. "I don't think they will just roll over and die after this (loss to La Salle.)"

Ritualo couldn't agree more: "Ateneo has veterans and championship experience. Alam nila kung anong gagawin sa tamang lugar, sa tamang oras. That will be their advantage."

Like no other

Nothing in the history of Philippine college basketball could compare to what the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry has become.

Games between both squads have not only been hoops spectacles but high-society gatherings of sorts, with politicians, government officials, tycoons and celebrities filling the seats at the Araneta Coliseum to cheer for their schools.

"I just can't explain kung bakit ganito kalaki yung rivalry," Tenorio said. "Iba talaga e. Iba yung approach ng parehong team pag Ateneo-La Salle talaga. Maybe it's all about pride."

"Maganda yung rivalry," added Ritualo. "Teams come to play hard and try to outdo each other with their best shots."

Tenorio and Ritualo know this so much. Ritualo, for one, was the most vital cog of La Salle's four-peat championship teams from 1998 to 2001 and has his jersey #4 the only retired one in Green Archer history.

Who will win it?

"I think Ateneo," Tenorio said without hesitation. "Nakukuha na ni Erik Salamat yung game niya and Nico Salva is doing a good job. We just have to break the press and play consistently the whole 40 minutes para makabawi."

"Syempre La Salle," answered Ritualo. "Yung hustle, teamwork and system - tatak na ng La Salle talaga. Nagbago man yung coach, Pumaren pa rin yan. Pareho lang."

Two days from now, the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers lock horns not only for school pride but more importantly, for position in the UAAP team standings.

The archenemies are currently third and fourth in the rankings and a win will give them a bigger chance of snatching the top two spots at the end of the elimination round.

So it's time to throw all of the statistics, history and scouting work away because when Ateneo and La Salle meet again, all hell will break loose. ###