Another giant down
Far Eastern came out of the halftime break with all guns cocked and firing on Sunday night, with a 16-2 run to open up the third period going on to result in a 90-79 conquest of University of the Philippines that now has the Tamaraws sharing top spot in Season 89 eliminations of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
Kirby Mongcopa had 24 points and nine rebounds in leading the Tamaraws to their third straight win and a 3-1 card like Ateneo, even as La Salle snapped a two-game slide earlier after a 112-87 rout of University of the East at PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Five players finished in twin digits for Far Eastern, which already owns victories over National U and La Salle before drubbing the Maroons, the losing finalists to the Green Archers last season.
Jorick Bautista and Janrey Pasaol turned in 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Mo Konateh had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Tamaraws.
Veejay Pre, the former Far Eastern star who served his residency requirement last season, top scored for the Maroons in the loss with 16 points. Francis Nnoruka scored 12 while Rey Remogat scattered 12 points in State U’s second loss of the season.
The Archers got 19 points from Mason Amos, the heady big man who played his finest game this season, as La Salle kept the Red Warriors winless in four games.
La Salle thus improved to 2-2, tied with the Maroons, the Bulldogs and the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigers, making for a highly competitive middle of the pack.
“This is going to make every game very interesting,” said a giddy La Salle coach Topex Robinson. “We came from back-to-back losses which are big. But for us now, it’s more of focusing on our own selves.”
“We just discussed how unpredictable this season will be, especially with the [results of the] games [on Saturday],” Robinson said, referring to Ateneo’s stunning win over National U and Adamson’s 28-point rout of the Tigers on Saturday.
After sluggish starts in their games against the Tigers and Tamaraws, the Green Archers finally opened a game on the right foot, immediately establishing a double-digit lead over the Red Warriors after the first quarter, 31-19.
La Salle did not let up in the second period, continuing its offensive onslaught to stretch the lead to 19 at halftime, 61-42.
The 112 points marked the Green Archers’ highest-scoring game since they also put up 112 points in a 112-83 rout of UST on April 19, 2022, back in Season 84.
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