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

Video #2: Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation

By Maviel Gonzales for College Hoops
www.collegehoops.com.ph/ 

21 August 2010

Watch how UAAP "foreigners" say some tongue-twisting words in Tagalog. Mike Silungan, Emmanuel Mbe, Kirk Long, Will Stinnett and Moriah Gingerich, sino ang pinaka kagilagilalas?


Mav is one of my co-correspondents at Yahoo! College Hoops. I was there when we shot the videos with Mbe and Stinnett.

Bilog Survey #1: UP, di na mananalo

The Fighting Maroons are in dire need of help. 

Photo by GM Tan of maroonsbasketball.com

Bilog Survey #1

UP to finish Season 73 winless

By Josiah Israel Albelda

20 August 2010

Almost half of Bilog ang Bola readers do not see a win coming for my hapless University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.

Nine out of the 22 votes (40%) cast in the week-long poll at Bilog ang Bola said that UP will not beat anybody this year, a dour forecast for a team dubbed by many pundits as a dark horse before Season 73 began.

The poll started before the second round, with the Maroons toting a 0-7 record. They have since dropped two straight - in blowout fashion - to Ateneo and La Salle.

UP's friends at the cellar, National University (interestingly, their opponent this Sunday) and University of the East got four (18%) votes each while University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University were chosen twice (9%). 

One said that the Maroons will shock front-running Far Eastern University while none thought of UP trimming Adamson University.

This week's poll will be on who the top three picks of the 2010 PBA Rookie Draft will be.

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.