Tams score 7th straight, Maroons the opposite

MANILA, Philippines -  Far Eastern University turned to RR Garcia and put the clamps on University of Santo Tomas’ shooters to hack out a 65-57 win and sweep the first round of the UAAP Season 73 men’s basketball tournament eliminations at The Arena yesterday.

Garcia fired 10 of his game-high 22 points in the payoff period as the Tamaraws completed a comeback from 11 points down and finished the initial phase of action unscathed at 7-0.

National University earlier made the biggest turnaround this season, wiping out a 22-point deficit in a 70-66 conquest of University of the Philippines.

The Tams matched the first-round feat of the 2005 FEU champion squad, whose key players Arwind Santos and Denok Miranda were on hand to rally behind the present crop.

“I’m happy because we duplicated the 2005 sweep but the job’s not over yet. We need to double our efforts from hereon, knowing all the teams will prepare hard for us in the second round,” said FEU coach Glen Capacio, whose wards fell behind at 14-25 early on.

Garcia blasted a triple and completed a three-point play off Jeric Teng in a 10-0 fourth quarter start that pushed the Tams ahead at 55-45 with 6:28 left.

The Morayta-based cagers then defended well against UST’s gunners from rainbow territory, making them miss three of their six tries in the endgame even as Garcia sealed the win with a drive-in basket and a three-point play off Teng.

“We contained their perimeter shooters down the stretch. They couldn’t make their three-point shots against us. Defense is once again the story of this game,” noted Capacio, whose boys held UST to a 10-of-39 clip from the outside (25.64 percent).

The Tigers, though, managed to score nine triples in all. They fell to 3-4 in a tie for fifth with National U.

The Bulldogs held State U scoreless in the final 2:50 to eke out their come-from-behind triumph.

Joseph Hermosisima hit an undergoal stab and a dagger triple while Joseph Terso coolly canned two charities down the stretch.

The Maroons, who appeared primed for a breakthrough triumph this year when they took a 43-21 bubble at the start of the third, suffered their seventh straight setback.

“We were too relaxed in the first half and we didn’t play our game,” said NU coach Eric Gonzales.

“So during the break, I reminded them of their commitment. If you still have that commitment, this is the right time to do it. If you’re not gonna play, this score will go to 80 points but if you’re gonna play, this is history. The good thing was, the guys responded,” he added.

Pouncing on the fouling out of UP ace Woody Co early in the third, Melvin Baloran, Emmanuel Mbe, Hermosisima and Terso chipped off UP’s margin to move NU to within 52-55 entering the final canto.

The Maroons managed to stay ahead at 66-61, on Carlo Gomez’s jumper, but NU countered with a 9-0 windup to steal the win.

In the women’s division, the FEU Lady Tams walloped the UP Lady Maroons, 57-46, to seize the solo lead at 6-0.

Raiza Palmera unloaded 22 points, including nine in the second canto, where she outscored the entire UP quintet (seven) as FEU seized a 29-16 spread. Complementing Palmera (five rebounds, seven assists and three steals) were Karen Columna (11 points) and Jocy Positos (10 rebounds).

Fille Cainglet led the way for UP (1-5) with 12 markers, two assists and two steals.

La Salle edged rival Ateneo in overtime, 64-60, to grab solo third at 4-2. Ateneo dropped to 2-4.