By Aimerose C. Atienza

The Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws are still hanging on a fine line toward the Final Four after an upsetting loss against the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Blue Eagles, 53-70, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 men’s basketball tournament last April 28 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

After the 6-1 lead by the Tamaraws in the first canto, the Blue Eagles did not look back and stacked up their lead to 18 points with about three minutes left in the match, 45-63.

Despite the successful perimeter shots of the Morayta dribblers, the blue-and-white team continuously answered back with the joint efforts of Eagles Raffy Verano and Tyler Tio to secure their win, 53-70.

With the loss against Ateneo, FEU Head Coach Olsen Racela acknowledged the Blue Eagles as the best team in collegiate basketball and mentioned that it is really difficult to compete against them due to the foul calls against his reinforcement Emman Ojoula.

“Isa lang tanong ko (I just have one question), ‘How can you compete against the best team in college basketball without your foreign student-athlete or without your best post player?’ ‘Yun lang (That’s all),”  he said.

FEU’s RJ Abarrientos was just limited to 4-of-14 in the field with 12 points and five rebounds, while veteran guard LJay Gonzales produced 10 points, seven boards, and four dimes.

The Morayta-based squad will have to secure a win over the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers to ensure at least a playoff in the fourth spot in the Final Four on May 1 at the same venue.

“Our goal remains the same [which is] to make it to the Final Four and right now, kailangan namin (we need) the next game which is against UST so that is our focus right now. We do not want to look at the other games as of this moment. Our focus is really on UST and how to prepare against them but we are aware of the situation,” Racela added.

(Photo by Juan Pablo Parian/FEU Advocate)