Tamaraws’ victory over Falcons fires up Chambers’ second-round optimism
After being the whipping boys in round one of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament, Far Eastern University (FEU) is determined to make things right this round two.
“We’re going to be a problem for everybody moving forward,” coach Sean Chambers said after his Tamaraws clinched a second victory via a hard-fought 76-72 overtime victory against Adamson on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“You look at all our games, I don’t think we’ve lost a game more than [12] points so far,” Chambers added. “We’ve been in every game and we had a chance to win pretty much every game. So the word, bawi lang (let’s bounce back). We’re here to get our revenge back on all the other teams.”
Short of record
FEU’s 2-6 record now could easily have been better if not for some breaks going against the Tamaraws when it mattered most. And their quest to get a better second round started by defeating the very team who kicked off their spiral and dealt them the most damage—the Soaring Falcons who defeated them, 59-47, to start both of their campaigns.
The only other squads that managed to craft convincing wins against the Tamaraws were University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas, who both came home with 11-point wins. The rest were close games where FEU even led at some point and had a chance to win in the end.
“Every time [the coaches] try to help us, they help me to get better every day in practice,” Mo Konateh said after another monster outing of 13 points and 26 rebounds, half of the total boards collected by FEU. “So we’re just going to have to keep getting better, and we’re going to make it. It’s going to be different this second half.”
Konateh’s rebound total was one short of the league record set by former Ateneo standout Ange Kouame.
Jorick Bautista was clutch once again for the Tamaraws like he did against Ateneo as he delivered 21 points and collected six rebounds.
With FEU behind by just three points, Bautista was left wide open at the top of the key after Royce Alforque missed both of his charities. Konateh fought for the rebound and managed to tip the ball to Bautista’s way. The third year guard did not waste the chance to extend the game at 58-all.
Bautista took charge in overtime where he scored nine crucial points including the free throws in the dying seconds that iced the game.
“I couldn’t explain it, I was surprised as well,” Bautista told the Inquirer when asked about him seizing the reins for the Tamaraws in crucial situations. “I just told myself that this game should be ours and I just trusted our team and myself and so I can’t believe that it happened again.”
“I feel like it’s paying off, what we are learning, in this second round. We’ve been in this situation before, we already know what to do and so in the next games, we’ll bring what we have learned so far,” Bautista added.
Next games
Far Eastern’s only win in the first round came from a 66-65 escape from Ateneo. It can continue getting back on the teams that beat it starting with National University next, before the Tamaraws’ rematch against University of the East, the Growling Tigers and defending champion La Salle.
“The players, in fairness, they’re working with me. They’re helping me learn the UAAP. They’re helping with some of the things I have to learn,” Chambers said. “I’m just now getting to know every player on every team now. So now I know how I want to stop teams.”
“But I just think we’re going to have a great second round. I really do. I’ve been saying that since the beginning,” he added.
“I explained to them this, we’re going to treat every game like a fight. After the game, we’re going to respect every team because of their effort, but we’re going to go into it like they’re trying to take something from us. And I explained to them a little bit about my history, playing against Alvin Patrimonio, against Allan Caidic … We didn’t like each other playing, but right now those are some of my closest friends because they respect how hard you play, how committed you are to your craft,” Chambers said.
“So that’s what we need to do. We need to make something personal against every team, then after that, we’re going to shake their hands and be gentlemen afterwards,” the former PBA import said. “But for two hours, it’s war. That’s how we’re going to approach every game moving forward.”
