Tams seek 2nd title slot today

FEU stalwart Roger Pogoy puts up a shot off four La Salle defenders. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

EVEN IF Far Eastern University boasts a 3-0 record over La Salle this season, FEU coach Nash Racela still sees the defending champion holding the edge in their Final Four showdown in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament today.

“The only thing we achieved is to get the twice-to-beat advantage,” said Racela. “Other than that, if you look at the lineups, they’re (Archers) bigger than us and taller than us. So I have to keep reminding my players that on paper, La Salle is still better than us.”

The Tamaraws go for another win over the Archers to clinch the first championship berth in the 4 p.m. match at Mall of Asia Arena.

“We still have to work hard,” Racela said of his Tamaraws, who secured the twice-to-beat bonus over the Archers in a playoff for the No. 2 spot last Sunday. “If the effort [during the playoff] was good, we need to double that.”

Top-ranked Ateneo had a shot at nailing the first title slot, but No. 4 National University pulled off a 78-74 upset to force a rubber match next Wednesday in the other pairing.

In women’s action, FEU and La Salle also clash in a sudden-death semifinal duel at 1:30 p.m., with the winner advancing against outright finalist NU

The Lady Tamaraws forged a do-or-die duel for the last title berth after upsetting the No. 2 Lady Archers, 61-56, in the stepladder semifinals  Thursday.

Mac Belo and Mike Tolomia have been the key tandem for the Tamaraws, but the rest of the FEU crew like Roger Pogoy, Carl Bryan Cruz and Achie Iñigo proved to be just as dangerous at crunch time.

“We just have to keep finding good shots, continue to play in a team setting,” La Salle coach Juno Sauler said after the Archers’ 65-60 playoff loss that saw star forward Jeron Teng, who just recovered from mild dengue, struggling for most of the game.

La Salle had similar narrow elimination losses to FEU—82-77 in the first round and 74-70 in their second meeting.