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[av_heading heading=’Tamaraws outplays Maroons in nat’l Iloilo invitational nailbiter’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay
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Tuesday, May 2, 2017
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ILOILO City – Manila-based collegiate giants Far Eastern University Tamaraws and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons duked it out on the Pototan Astrodome floor on Sunday, in front of a riled up crowd Ilonggo crowd, during the 2017 Iloilo National Invitational Championship.
And only one UAAP titan came out victorious.
The Tamaraws barely survived UP in the tight-match thriller, 59-57, just getting by the last-minute heroics of former Ateneo Blue Eagle Hubert Cani and the misfires of new Fighting Maroons recruit Cameroonian Bright Akhuetie.
Shots fell flat for both teams in the opening quarter, with attempts by Tamaraw’s Joe Trinidad and Maroon’s Diego Dario failing to connect. Paul Desiderio then managed to pull UP ahead at 9-2, before Jasper Parker cut the deficit on free throws and a two-point shot, 9-6.
The Fighting Maroons then seized a narrow 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, despite FEU’s Richard Escoto coming hot into the court.
UP maintained its edge heading into the second frame, 21-16, on jumpshots by Akhuetie, Noah Webb and Ajuy, Iloilo-native Richie Villaruz.
However, Maroon’s 6-foot-6 import finally met his match in Nigerian Prince Orizu, pushing the Tams to within 21-18. But once Orizu exited the court, Akhuetie again showed his dominance to power UP, 30-22, at halftime.
The foul-plagued Fighting Maroons suffered a downturn in the third quarter, as Kenneth Tuffin registered FEU’s first three-pointer, followed by successful plays by Escoto and Brandre Bienes, to bridge the gap.
The Tamaraws finally usurped the lead on a Parker hit at 37-38.
UP coach Bo Perasol blared on his slacking team to get them fired up for the final stretch, but though the two teams exchanged leads several times in the final quarter, Cani caught on fire with nine straight points for FEU to pad his team’s lead, 54-59.
Akhuetie and Jun Kent Manzo managed to claw back at, 57-59, but UP’s crucial misfires handed the victory to the Tamaraws.
The Tamaraws hopes to exact revenge on the unbowed Sky Cable-Iloilo, which beat them during their first match, to claim the winner-take-all championship in the Iloilo Invitational finals on Monday at the Pototan Astrodome. Meanwhile, the UP Fighting Maroons is facing the Southwestern University-Phinma Cobras in the battle for third place.
The tournament champion at the end of the four-day tilt will take home P70,000, while the second placer will have P50,000, shares Ilonggo sportsman and organizer Ruding Villaruz. P30,000 and P10,000 have been allotted for the third and fourth placers./PN
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