FEU completes FilOil Group A quarterfinalists; JRU takes top spot
By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno
SAN JUAN, MM–FEU banked on a second half surge to beat an upset-seeking EAC squad, 69-64, in a pivotal FilOil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
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Trailing by as much as 11 in the first half and playing the rest of the game without Roger Pogoy, who suffered a head injury in the first quarter, the Tamaraws, led by Monbert Arong and Ron Dennison, crawled their way back and led, 60-53, with 4:35 left in the game.
The Generals stayed in the game and were within three, 60-63, with 1:52 left, but Arong made two crucial baskets down the stretch to secure the win that catapulted the Tamaraws to the quarterfinal round.
Arong and Dennison each scored 12 points for FEU, which will finish in fourth place in Group A at 5-3. Despite NU having a chance to tie FEU in the standings on Saturday, the latter will still move on to the playoffs by virtue of the winner-over-the-other rule. FEU won in overtime against NU in their meeting.
Hamadou Laminou made 23 points, seven rebounds, and a block, while Sidney Onwubere added 19 markers, ten boards, and a steal for EAC, which ended its campaign with a 1-7 card.
Later in the day, cored 20 points, 8 in a pivotal late fourth quarter stretch, with 17 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks as the JRU Heavy Bombers sealed the top position in the group with an 85-77 victory over the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
In the match where last year’s UAAP minnows tied the NCAA semifinalists at halftime, JRU only led by one point, 72-71, with four minutes left. But Poutouochi and Ervin Grospe teamed up in a pivotal 12-3 run for JRU to pull away for good. Grospe finished with 12 points, making all but one of his six field goals.
Nico Capote led the Soaring Falcons, playing for the first time with Mike Fermin as interim coach, with 17 points on five triples and three rebounds. They badly missed the services of big men Papi Sarr and Matt Aquino as they got outrebounded, 32-47. Sarr sat out with a hamstring injury.
Aquino, however, had a curious case as a report surfaced that he transferred to NU. Assistant Coach Marlou Aquino, Matt’s father, was also absent in the game, triggering speculations that he also quit his post days after good friend Kenneth Duremdes was given a pink slip as Adamson’s head coach.
In the first game, SWU defeated Lyceum in a no-bearing match between eliminated Group B teams, 60-53.
Box Scores:
First Game:
SWU 60-Holper 12, Mupungo 11, Auditor 10, Luz 7, Goloran 6, Tallo 5, Bregondo 4, Acuno 3, Parker 2
Lyceum 53-Nguidjol 11, Gabayni 10, Baltazar 10, Alanes 8, Bulawan 7, Mbida 2, Lacastesantos 2, Ayaay 2, Soliman 1, Sunga 0, Marata 0, Caduyac 0, Taladua 0
Quarterscores: 13-11, 32-24, 49-31, 60-53
Second Game:
FEU 69-Arong 12, Dennison 12, Jose 9, Orizu 9, Bienes 8, Comboy 5, Trinidad 4, Tolomia 3, Pogoy 2, Delos Santos 2, Denila 2, Ugsang 2, Inigo 0, Holmqvist 0, Roxas 0, Tamsi 0
EAC 64-Laminou 23, Onwubere 19, Pascua 9, Pascual 4, General 3, Morada 3, Corilla 2, Mbang 1, Estacio 0, Mejos 0
Quarterscores: 10-15, 25-35, 46-48, 69-64
Third Game:
JRU 85-Poutouochi 20, Sanchez 17, Grospe 12, Pontejos 10, Balagtas 8, Aurin 8, Teodoro 4, Dela Paz 2, Lasquety 2, Dela Virgen 2, Abdulwahab 0
Adamson 77-Capote 17, Ochea 13, Tungcab 12, Nalos 11, Garcia 6, Ng 5, Bernardo 4, Policn 4, Baytan 2, Villanueva 2, Pedrosa 1, Barrera 0, Espleta 0
Quarterscores: 21-16, 36-36, 58-55, 85-77
