By Jonas Terrado - Manila Bulletin - August 1 2008
The last one was for Mac Baracael, but yesterday was for their own bragging rights.
That was what the Far Eastern University achieved as the Tamaraws became the first team to beat Ateneo this season via a masterful 72-66 win at the 71st UAAP basketball tournament before a huge crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.
Ateneo’s Rabeh Al-Hussaini produced a monster game, coming through with 33 points and 20 rebounds but his effort went down the drain as the Tamaraws erased a 10-point deficit behind the inspired performances of Benedict Fernandez, Mark Borroca and Aldrech Ramos to register another inspiring win.
The victory was a fitting sequel to their 71-69 win over University of the East last Sunday, a performance each one dedicated to Baracael who was shot by an unidentified gunman just a few meters from the FEU gym last Thursday.
But more than that, the Tamaraws forced a three-way tie for the lead with their victims and idle La Salle.
In the first game, University of Santo Tomas downed National University, 88-77, to stay gain a share of fourth spot with University of the East.
"Di ko alam kung anu nangyayari sa team ko,"said head coach Glen Capacio. "Grabe wala na akong masasabi sa puso ng mga bata, hindi ko alam kung dahil kay Macmac pero sa tingin ko hindi na siguro, nasa puso na ng mga bata na manalo."
However, it could be the last game for Robert Kaye, who is reportedly going back to Papua New Guinea. He was with Baracael when the shooting incident occurred last week.
"Emotional talaga itong game na ‘to dahil last game na ni Robert Kave." Capacio said. "Ayaw na talaga eh, hindi ko lang alam kung for good o kung magpapalamig pero sana makabalik siya."
Ramos finished with 12 points and five rebounds but it was another big man in Riel Cervantes who led the Morayta-based dribblers with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Fernandez and Barroca chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Al-Hussaini’s output was the highest since Adamson’s Ken Bono scored 33 two years ago.
The former PCU Baby Dolphin made 18 of 20 points at one point in-between the second and third periods as Ateneo eventually took its biggest lead at 10 points, 56-46, early in the final canto.
But FEU slowly pulled closer to even the match as Fernandez scored on a three-point play off Noy Baclao with 3:43 remaining, 62-62.
After Chris Tiu and Baclao drained two free throws each that helped the Blue Eagles reclaim the lead, 66-62, Cervantes scored on a tip-in and Fernandez split his charities with 1:21 remaining to narrow the gap. They got another relief Al-Hussaini missed a hook shot that paved the way a crucial basket for Ramos.
No other player from Ateneo scored in double-figures as Baclao managed only eight points while Tiu was held to just seven points, a far cry from his 15.4-point average this season.
Earlier, rookie Clark Bautista, a product out of Benedictine International School, boomed for 18 points to power the Growling Tigers to their third win in six starts.
With the Bulldogs breathing down the Tigers’ necks, 48-49, midway in the third quarter, Bautista, ably filling in the shoes left by an injured Japs Cuan, combined with veteran Francis Allera in a 20-9 UST explosion that sent the Espana-based squad racing to a 69-57 lead entering the final 10 minutes.
Cuan is still recovering from a torn meniscus and is not expected to return to action until next month.
The Tigers kept on pounding and raced to leads of as much as 16 points, the last at 80-64, 5:50 to go before coasting along for the victory.
Jervy Cruz had another double-double day with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Khasim Mirza came off the bench to add 13 points.
"Kami kasi nitong first round, parang palubog pero sana sa second round dire-diretso na ang takbo ng barko," UST head coach Pido Jarencio said.
Edwin Asero banged in 17 points to lead the Bulldogs, who got 11 points each from Raymund Aguilar and Chris Catamora and 10 from Jewel Fonferrada.
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