Tams repulse Maroons, gain solo third

MANILA, Philippines —  Streaking Far Eastern U burst the bubble of University of the Philippines with a dominant 78-59 verdict to take solo third in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum yesterday.

Taking notice of the hot shooting of Paul Desiderio and the rest of the Maroons in their big 98-87 reversal over La Salle last week, the Tams put up their best defensive efforts and shackled their opponents from Diliman no end to pave the way for their third straight win and 4-2 overall.

“It was a defensive game for us. This was our first time to limit our opponents to under 60 points. That was our focus from the start and it was also good timing that we caught UP on an off night; the shots they were making against La Salle were not falling today,” said FEU coach Olsen Racela, whose charges held UP to 31 percent shooting (23 of 73), including 21.05 percent from beyond the arc after a sizzling 47.37 percent field goal (36-of-76) and 45.71 percent three-point marksmanship (16-of-35) against the Archers.

The Tams placed particular focus on Desiderio, who posted 30 points, including six of the team’s 16 triples in upstaging the Archers in their previous outing. With Ron Dennison as designated defender, FEU held Desiderio to nine markers on 1-of-5 clip from the outside and four-of-12 overall.

“We’re fortunate to have a Ron (Dennison) who will focus on our problem with Desiderio. But of course, it’s the whole FEU team that accomplished this,” said Racela.Dennison not only put the clamps on fellow Cebuano Desiderio but also came up big on offense, shooting seven of his team-high 16 in the fourth quarter to help FEU defuse UP’s fightback and restore a 74-48 spread.

“I’ve known him since high school so I know his moves,” said Dennison of the UP star. “I also have faith in myself that I can make my shots against his defense.”

The Maroons saw their two-game streak snapped and slipped to 3-2. They’re now 0-12 against FEU dating back to the second round of Season 74.

In the second game, Adamson coasted to a 79-60 rout of winless University of the East to notch its second consecutive victory and tie UP at fourth at 3-2.

Papi Sarr (15 points and 16 boards) led 10 other scorers in a balanced assault for the Falcons, who followed up their 83-76 win over the National U Bulldogs.