INQUIRER Sports

 W L
 Ateneo 4 0
 La Salle 5 1
 FEU 4 1
 UE 3 3
 Adamson 2 3
 UST 1 3
 UP 1 5
 NU 0 4

GAMES TODAY (PhilSports Arena)
2 p.m.?NU vs Ateneo
4 p.m.?UST vs Adamson

THE FAR EASTERN TAMARAWS, POURING THEIR EMOTIONS on the playing court, slipped past the University of the East Warriors with a 71-69 squeaker in the 71st UAAP men?s basketball competition Saturday at the PhilSports Arena.

Andy Barroca shattered a 66-66 deadlock with 36 seconds left, before Aldrech Ramos sank two free throws off an Elmer Espiritu foul to give the grimly determined Tamaraws a 70-66 lead with nine ticks remaining.

It was an emotional win for the Tamaraws, who played their hearts out two days after star forward Mac Baracael was shot by an unknown assailant just outside the FEU gym.

The Warriors, however, placed the game under protest with team captain Marcy Arellano signing the score sheet right after the match. UE team officials said ?certain calls will be questioned,? but did not elaborate further.

Unless the protest is upheld, the Tamaraws will be in third place with a 4-1 record with the Warriors dropping to 3-3.

Earlier, La Salle overwhelmed University of the Philippines, 82-60, to remain solo second at 5-1 with its fifth straight triumph.

The Archers pulled away with a strong second half anchored on Rico Maierhofer, who buried 10 of his 14 points in the third period and hauled down nine rebounds.

The Tamaraws played as if nothing had shaken their competitiveness.

Baracael, still confined in a hospital, had been declared ?out of danger? yesterday. But the 23-year-old cager is still being monitored while recovering from a single gunshot that punctured his lungs and fractured two ribs (See related story on A27).

?Anyone could have won that game; it was our desire and heart that helped us win,? said FEU coach Glenn Capacio. ?Going into this game, we had no concentration in practice. We cut it because we weren?t focused. It was a team effort, both in offense and defense.?

The Tamaraws clearly made the unfortunate incident their rallying point with the No. 12, Baracael?s number, patched on their jerseys and taped on their shoes. Benedict Fernandez also had a rosary visibly tucked in his shorts.

?They gave their best for Macmac,? said Capacio. ?I?m touched by what the players did. Instead of me motivating them, they motivated me. The boys gave such a huge effort.?

With the Tamaraws up at 70-66, Hans Thiele nailed a triple to push the Warriors within a point, 70-69, with 2.8 seconds.

Forced to stop the game clock, the Warriors fouled Barroca, who grabbed a key rebound in the dwindling seconds after missing the second of his two free throws.

Fernandez, finishing with a game-high 19 points, carried the Tamaraws early in the third quarter by drilling 10 straight points that tied the game at 43.

The Warriors had posted a double-digit edge for the first time, 43-33, following a fiery run after the break that started with two Rudy Lingganay treys.

Down, 43-49, after triples from Warriors Paul Lee and Paul Zamar, the Tamaraws went on a 10-2 rally capped by a JR Cawaling three-pointer to wrest the lead at 53-51.

The scores:

First Game
LA SALLE 82?Mangahas 16, Maierhofer 14, Bagatsing 10, Barua 8, Casio 7, Webb 6, Malabes 6, Lee 4, Walsham 2, Villanueva 2, Chandumal 2, Atkins 2, Mendoza 1, Ferdinand 1, Batricevic 1.
UP 60?Co 22, De Assis 9, Agbayani 8, Braganza 6, Gamboa 5, Reyes 4, Astorga 2, Maniego 2, Sorongon 2, Fortu 0, Sison 0, Marfori 0, Dela Victoria 0, Hipolito 0.
Quarters: 17-10, 37-29, 65-45, 82-60

Second Game
FEU 71?Fernandez 19, Cawaling 12, Adolfo 9, Ramos 7, Barroca 7, Cervantes 6, Sanga 5, Knuttel 4, Kave 2, Alisbo 0, Cabagnot 0.
UE 69?Llagas 14, Lingganay 12, Espiritu 10, Arellano 10, Zamar 7, Thiele 7, Lee 5, Noble 2, Reyes 2, Bandaying 0, Martinez 0.
Quarters: 16-15, 31-33, 53-55, 71-69