MANILA, Philippines - The past three seasons, they were tagged as legitimate title contenders. Each time they came close, ending up somewhere between daydreamers to real-life achievers. Each time, like sleeping kids rolling off their beds, they were just nearly there, only to fall short.
Now, more than ever, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws want to go beyond being contenders, even if their horns will have to drill through the seemingly invincible garb of last season’s antagonists and grand slam kings — the Ateneo De Manila University Blue Eagles.
For three years, the Tamaraws had it gory. For three years, the Eagles were in absolute glory. What sets the winner from the other? It’s the third of the three “G”s: Guts. And the Tams have a lot of guts, aside from having a lot of injuries.
Suddenly becoming a walking magnet for injuries, the Morayta-based cagers turned from a vaunted powerhouse to an “accident-prone area,” as veterans Pipo Noundou and JR Cawaling were sidelined with an Achilles tendon rupture and knee injury, respectively. At the end of the first round, Team B-acquired center Christian Sentcheu also fell victim to a foot injury. Before the regular season closed, premier defender Christopher Exciminiano sprained his ankle and rookie center Russel Escoto was aching with a fractured hand. Fast sinking in the quicksand of hype down to the hellhole of early vacation, the Tams realized something: they were not tough enough, so they had to toughen up. And they did.
After piling up three straight losses that started off with a defeat from cellar-dwelling University of the Philippines (63-76) before bowing twice to ADMU for a 4-4 win-loss record, the Tams finished the double round-robin eliminations with a 9-5 slate.
To do so, FEU strung up blood-solidifying victories, winning in improbable ways at impossible times that only movies could make possibly real. Down 16 points, 35-51, with 7:55 left to play against UP and 18 points, 33-51, with 4:26 in the third period versus National University, FEU stormed back, almost at will and almost divinely interfered, and won it, 59-53 and 84-82, in order. Against UST’s 18-point second-canto lead, 17-35, they almost repeated it, advancing 69-66, before failing to do so at 73-77.
Slowly, like pieces of bricks and jigsaw fitting spectacularly into place, the perfect teamwork mix of individual stars, underrated but key role players, and promising yet fulfilling rookies came together versus Adamson University (AdU) in the semi-finals.
The veteran-laden and taller Falcons, which dealt Ateneo their only loss of the season, were ousted by the smaller, injury-plagued Tamaraws. AdU carried a twice-to-beat incentive, and they were twice beaten, 49-59 and 74-78.
Ironically, the Tams were also the last team before this year to experience being kicked out despite having the same cushion, handed over by University of the East in UAAP Season 72.
Against Ateneo’s obvious size advantage, Ramos, Escoto, Carl Cruz and Mark Bringas would need to combine brains with brawn to match seven-foot Greg Slaughter as FEU’s offensive three-guard formation of last season’s MVP RR Garcia, previous top rookie Terrence Romeo and spitfire Mike Tolomia blitz on the backcourt.
The stinginess of Exciminiano, Roger Pogoy and Jens Knuttel would try to slow down, if not stop, the run-and-gun trio of Emman Monfort, Kirk Long and Rookie of the Year Kiefer Ravena, which made ADMU the best fastbreak team in the league.
If we ask why the Tamaraws want that elusive crown, it’s not because they want to beat the best, but because they want to be the best. Besides, it might do Ateneo some good to know that no host school has won the men’s basketball title in 20 years.
In the Finals, it’s not just about hard work, but heart work for FEU.