Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws grappled to catch up against Adamson  University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 54-63 in the second round of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season 86 men’s basketball tourney today, October 29 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Tamaraws struggled to snag baskets in the first frame with a 0-11 score on the board. Their first points came after Jorick Bautista scored a three-point basket with two minutes left.

FEU trailed early on in the match, ending halftime at 25-40.

Despite the consistent three-point contribution from Bautista, the team failed to gain momentum to catch up on the opponent’s defensive mechanism.

The green-and-gold team exhibited an attempt to score clutch points during the final quarter, led by gunners LJay Gonzales and Xyrus Torres to cut down Soaring Falcon’s lead by six points with twenty seconds left on the clock. 

During the post-game interview, coach Denok Miranda mentioned what the team lacked during the match in trying to penetrate the opponent’s double digit lead.

“Hindi kami maka-shoot. Medyo ‘yung intensity ng depensa [namin], hindi ganoon kagaling.” (We were not able to shoot. Our intensity of defense was not that excellent.) he said. 

Lead scorer Gonzales ended the game with 18 points and six assists, along with Bautista chipping in 13 points and three rebounds.

Coach Denok also thought about the crucial remaining five games of FEU in the eliminations after their defeat that broke their tie standing with Adamson. Highlighting that they should focus on one game at a time.

“Syempre ano, focus tayo one game at a time. Lalo na sa UE [University of the East]. So tinalo tayo ng first round doon, so kailangan natin manalo doon.” (Of course, we’d focus on one game at a time. Especially in UE [University of the East]. We lost against them during the first round, so we need to win against them.) He added.

Morayta-based squad concluded their weekend match with a 3-6 win-loss record and will look to build on this loss by attempting to clinch against UE next Sunday, November 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

-Nathalia Coleen B. Favila

(Photo by Justine Jaerigg/FEU Advocate)