FEU Tamaraws slide to 0-5 in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament. –TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Far Eastern University is off to its worst start in the UAAP Final Four era after dropping to 0-5 in the Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
The Tamaraws, a Final Four finisher last season but lost a key contributor in RJ Abarrientos, still couldn’t find an end to their winless start after dropping to La Salle, 87-70, on Saturday.
Before today, their most lackluster season opener came in 2006 when they went 0-4, a year after losing then key player, Arwind Santos.
The Tamaraws are now in eighth place, just below University of Santo Tomas, which holds a 1-3 card.
The current status of FEU comes as a bit of a shock, considering the Tamaraws the finalists of this year’s Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup where they lost against champion National University.
FEU coach Olsen Racela.
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are at the upper echelon of the standings with a 4-1 win-loss record.
LJ Gonzales led FEU’s most recent attempt at gaining a win with a near triple-double of 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Bryan Sajonia added to the Tamaraws’ cause with 15 markers, five rebounds but turned the ball over four times.
Coach Olsen Racela and his boys can end their on Wednesday when they face likewise struggling Tigers at Mall of Asia Arena.