CELEST FLORES-COLINA/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Far Eastern University overpowered San Beda, 89-79, Saturday to keep a perfect record entering the quarterfinals of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup.
The Tamaraws cashed in on a strong 24-13 start and sustained the intensity until the payoff period, not allowing the Red Lions to inch closer than six points.
Mike Tolomia led the charge with 26 points, sizzling on 4-of-4 shooting from downtown, along with 10 assists.
“We’re really happy with the win,” the soft-spoken guard said after the game, in which they led by as many as 16 points late in second quarter.
Do-it-all forward Mac Belo added 14 points and seven rebounds along with a steal and a block while Roger Pogoy had 10 points.
Despite a 6-0 card, FEU wound up at second place behind Centro Escolar University, which totes an identical record, due to inferior quotient.
Though it has been, no doubt, a dominant pre-season for the Tamaraws, but head coach Nash Racela will not stop downplaying their chances for the upcoming UAAP season.
“It will be helpful if we continued to do that. Were just being realistic [because other teams improved as well],” Racela said.
“There’s still a lot of fine-tuning needed and we’re still in the proces of teaching them what they could do as well as the limitations.”
The Red Lions, meanwhile, absorbed their first loss of the tournament after they were doomed by 18 turnovers which translated to 24 points for the Tamaraws.
Ola Adeogun had 21 points and 15 rebounds while Ryusei Koga added 15 points, sparking a fourth quarter run that kept San Beda within single digits.
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