INQUIRER Sports

BENEDICT FERNANDEZ AND JR Cawaling were locked in a tight embrace. Behind them, Aldrech Ramos and Andy Barroca were in tears. And so were team officials Anton Montinola and Mark Molina. Ron Cabagnot covered his uniform with a replica jersey of his injured teammate.

And as shouts of ?Baracael? prevailed inside the PhilSports Arena, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws painted one dramatic tableau in triumph.

Even in his absence, Marnel ?Mac? Baracael proved how valuable he is to the Tamaraws. The 6-foot-3 power forward, who was shot by an unidentified gunman Thursday night, was the inspiration in the Tamaraws? 71-69 victory over University of the East yesterday.

Molina, the FEU athletic director, said Baracael, who sustained a gunshot wound in the chest, is now out of danger and recovering in a hospital. For security reasons, officials did not disclose the name of the hospital.

?We haven?t talked to him since the shooting but he sent each of us (in the team) a text message before the game to play well,? said shooting guard Benedict Fernandez, one of Baracael?s closest friends in the team. ?We wanted to win this one for him. I hope he is happy.?

Streamers bearing statements like ?Justice for Mac? and ?Win for Baracael? were flashed by FEU supporters during the game. Amid tight security, the Tamaraws, who wore No. 12 patches, Baracael?s jersey number, emerged from the dugout, looking somber.

Assistant coach Bert Flores told the Inquirer there were at least six security men that were detailed to the team during the game, aside from those requested by the UAAP.

Security was so tight that when Fernandez went to the comfort room during the first quarter, he had one security escort waiting for him outside.

The shooting incident also took an emotional toll on rookie Robert Kave, who was with Baracael when the incident took place.

FEU coach Glenn Capacio said Saturday Kave has expressed his intention to return to his home country in Papua New Guinea. ?He is still traumatized by the incident,? said Capacio.

Commissioner Chito Narvasa submitted recommendations to school officials following the incident.

The UAAP board will convene for a regular meeting tomorrow morning.