They’re no longer the team that looked just good enough to win the big one.
After so many heartbreaks and near-misses, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws finally pulled through on Wednesday, capturing the championship in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament that had eluded them for a decade.
READ: FEU ends UAAP title drought, outlasts UST in Game 3
“Masaya naman, tapos na kami sa malungkot (About time we get happy, all the sadness is over),” said FEU star Mac Belo, all thrilled as the incredible Tamaraws basked in glory after winning a series to remember against a tough University of Santo Tomas (UST).
“Our teamwork was there. Our spirit—that we never give up—was there. We really gave it our all today.”
Enduring nerve-wracking moments in the endgame, the Tamaraws rallied in the last four minutes to slip past the Tigers, 67-62, in a Game 3 classic in front of a boisterous crowd of 23,000 at SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The remarkable triumph kept the Tamaraws—who already hold the league record for the most number of championships—as the most decorated of them all by capturing a 20th crown.
“Some said it’s redemption, but to me it’s a breakthrough for FEU,” FEU coach Nash Racela said after the Tamaraws ruled the best-of-three series, 2-1.
“A lot of people have been doubting, saying negative things every year. But I think this showed that whatever its is they’re thinking about FEU is not true.”
Doubts, indeed, loomed after the Tigers leveled the series with a 62-56 Game 2 victory on Saturday.
FEU took Game 1 in a 75-64 decision last week, just like last season where the heavily favored Tamaraws claimed the opener but lost the crown to the underdog National University.
“People would suggest that it’s going to be the same as last year,” Racela said. “I don’t want to brag, but we were looking at a different result. People try to put you down.
“I just told the players to focus on every moment, every possession and hopefully, we get the results that we want.”
READ: Racela turns ‘doubted’ FEU Tamaraws into champions
23 for Racela
That’s exactly what the steely FEU veterans did as Belo unloaded a game-high 23 points, including nine in the Tamaraws’ third-quarter outburst, that pushed them ahead by as many as 10 points, 51-41.
Just when the Tamaraws looked all set to toy with their opponent, the Tigers came battling back behind Ed Daquioag, staging a defiant effort that gave them back the lead, 59-53.
But Roger Pogoy provided the final push, dropping seven points in the last four minutes, highlighted by a cold-blooded triple that gave the Tamaraws the advantage, 61-60, with just 87 seconds left.
“Nasa isip ko lang this is my last year, ibibigay ko na lahat (I just kept thinking that this is my last year and I’m going to give it my all),” Pogoy said.
Killer blow
FEU’s topnotch guard Mike Tolomia also delivered a killer blow with a strong drive to the basket that cushioned the Tamaraws’ precarious lead, 63-60, with just a minute left.
“Even when we were down in the endgame in the last few minutes, the players kept on fighting, kept on believing,” said Racela. “As a coach, you can only be proud of your players.”
FEU’s top trio again came to fore with Belo leading the way to clinching the Finals Most Valuable Player award for his stellar showing all throughout the series.
SOARING FINISH Far Eastern University’s Mac Belo soars for a layup against University of Sto. Tomas’ Karim Abdul. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
READ: FEU’s Mac Belo named Finals MVP
Pogoy also capped what had been his best season with 14 points and six boards, while Tolomia added 13 points and three assists.
5-point cluster
Momentum seemed to have shifted to UST as the Tigers dropped 11 unanswered points, six coming from Daquioag, at the start of the fourth period that turned a 46-51 deficit into a 57-51 advantage.
Belo arrested the scoreless spell, but Daquioag again answered back to keep the Tigers up, 59-53, with 4:27 minutes left.
That field goal, however, proved to be the last for the Tigers, as the Tamaraws delivered a five-point cluster—including back-to-back baskets from Pogoy—that pushed them within a point, 58-59.
As the Tigers unraveled, the Tamaraws kept it together with Pogoy burying a clutch three-pointer and Tolomia nailing a crucial drive.
Free throws from Tolomia, Belo and Russel Escoto sealed it for the Tamaraws as the Tigers also blew their chances with two crucial turnovers inside the last 46.1 seconds.
Daquioag had 21 points to pace the Tigers, who also missed the services of Game 2 hero Kevin Ferrrer.
Ferrer wound up with just six points after exploding for 29 in Game 2.
‘Best team this season’
“It’s our execution in the endgame [that doomed us],” said UST coach Bong dela Cruz. “It still hurts, so I really had nothing much to say to the players. But I told them no one expected us to be here. We overachieved. We just fell short in the end.”
And in the end, too, FEU showed that its depth spelled the difference. That from top to bottom, the Tamaraws are the best team this season.
“We had our sights on the championship after that loss last year,” said Racela. “We didn’t want to say it, but in our hearts we had that connection that we were going to do it.”
The scores:
FEU 67—Belo 23, Pogoy 14, Tolomia 13, Tamsi 6, Ru. Escoto 5, Inigo 3, Jose 2, Orizu 1, Arong 0, Dennison 0, Ri. Escoto 0, Trinidad 0.
UST 62—Daquiaog 21, Abdul 12, Lee 9, Ferrer 6, Lao 6, Vigil 6, Bonleon 2, Faundo 0, Huang 0, Sheriff 0.
Quarters: 18-19, 30-30, 51-46, 67-62
RELATED STORY
Jarencio on UST UAAP Finals loss: ‘My heart is bleeding’
RELATED VIDEO
