Tams enter Elite 8 in PCCL
November 23rd, 2009 by Alder T. Almo
Manila – The Far Eastern University Tamaraws cruised to the Elite 8 after surviving the pesky Arellano University Chiefs, 69-59, at the start of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) Sweet 16 at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig.
The Tamaraws, who are coming off a disappointing third place finish in the UAAP season 72 almost squandered a 12-point lead but regrouped in the second half to pull off the victory.
RR Garcia led the Tamaraws with 17 points, 10 coming in the second half, while Paul Sanga hit crucial back-to-back triples in the fourth period.
The Tamaraws erected a 12-point lead, 21-9, in the opening period but the AU Chiefs came charging back behind John Tayongtong’s eight first half points.
The Chiefs came closest at 34-35 but the Tamaraws came alive after AU’s Rodrigo Apostol missed potential lead changing free throws in the 7:34 mark of the third period.
Garcia scored all but two in a dizzying 10-0 run by the Tamaraws to bring the lead back to double digits, 45-34.
The Chiefs cut the deficit again to seven, 47-54, on Leonard Anquilo’s basket but Sanga hit back-to-back triples as the Tamaraws were never seriously threatened from thereon.
“Nag-relax sila sa second quarter. Pinagalitan ko sila sa halftime and they responded well. Gumanda ang depensa namin sa second half,” FEU coach Glen Capacio said.
The FEU frontline outplayed their AU counterparts.
Aldrech Ramos, who is a mainstay of the Smart Gilas-RP Team, had 15 markers and seven boards while Cameroonian forward Pipo Noundou chipped in double-double with 10 and 11 rebounds.
AU’s Gio Ciriacruz had 17 points and 10 boards but failed to muster enough support from his teammates.
The Tamaraws will next face the winner of the University of the East-University of Cebu Sweet 16 pairing.
The other UAAP teams – defending PCCL champion De La Salle University and reigning UAAP champion Ateneo de Manila University – will debut on Wednesday.
The DLSU Green Archers, which swept the Naga Zonals to enter this year’s Sweet 16, will play NCAA’s Letran Knights while the Blue Eagles will face the Lyceum Pirates also at the Ynares Sports Center.
The scores:
FEU 69 – Garcia 17, Ramos 15, Noundou 10, Sanga 8, Cervantes 8, Exciminiano 8, Knuttel 4, Cawaling 3, Guerrero 0, Vinluan 0.
AU 59 – G. Ciriacruz 17, Tayongtong 11, Apostol , Anquilo 7, Rivera 6, Celada 6, Virtudazo 3, Agustin 0, Reducto 0, I. Ciriacruz 0.
Quarters: 21-9, 33-29, 52-45, 69-59
November 23rd, 2009 by Alder T. Almo |
