Reward not exactly juicy

FEU and La Salle square off for the last ticket to the Final Four playoffs in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today. What awaits the winner isn’t exactly a juicy reward. It’s the daunting task of facing top seed Ateneo with the challenge of beating the Eagles twice in the semifinals. Ateneo has to win only once to advance to the best-of-three finals.

Both FEU and La Salle finished the double-round eliminations with identical 8-6 records. The Archers blew two chances to clinch solo fourth by losing their last two assignments, 71-62 to Ateneo and 97-81 to UP. Momentum is clearly on FEU’s side as the Tamaraws are coming off three straight wins, 80-61 over UE, 79-74 over NU and 82-56 over Adamson to book the do-or-die duel with La Salle. If FEU lost even one of those three games, it would’ve been struck out of contention for the Final Four outright. So FEU survived three straight knockout contests to arrange the showdown with La Salle.

Adamson can’t be blamed for resting key players Jerick Ahanmisi and Sean Manganti in the 82-56 loss to FEU. Falcons coach Franz Pumaren had every right and reason to preserve his two star players, whether they were injured or sick or not. It was a no-bearing game for Adamson so why risk Ahanmisi or Manganti going down with an injury even if they were fit to play? It had nothing to do with Pumaren being a La Salle graduate or his assistants Don Allado, Tonichi Yturri and RenRen Ritualo coming from the Taft school. NBA teams do the same thing to their key players so it’s no big deal. Besides, the Archers are a proud team and wouldn’t have liked a free ride to the playoffs. La Salle would rather prove itself worthy of a slot in the Final Four or go down trying.

FEU’s only setbacks this season were to UST twice, UE, Ateneo, UP and La Salle. The Archers lost to Ateneo twice, UP twice, Adamson and FEU. The Tamaraws’ average losing margin was 12.7 points compared to La Salle’s 10.2. In their first meeting this season, FEU beat La Salle, 68-61, last Sept. 9. Archers’ New Zealand center Tee Samuel played only 5:17 minutes and limped off the court with a stress fracture in his left leg. He has since returned to play in La Salle’s last two contests. The Archers are winless in three games with Samuel who’s averaging 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 12.8 minutes, shooting 41.2 percent from the field, 4-of-7 free throws and 0-of-6 from beyond the arc. 

The Tamaraws had the edge in three-point conversions, 9-5, free throws made, 11-6, turnover points, 13-2 and perimeter points, 35-25 in the first encounter which had seven lead changes and six deadlocks. Arvin Tolentino shot 13 points, Ken Tuffin 11 and Axel Inigo 10 to lead FEU while Dodong Santillan fired 19 points and Aljun Melecio 11 for La Salle.

In the second face-off last Oct. 27, hulking Prince Orizu didn’t play and Tuffin saw action for only 3:83 minutes as FEU lost a 65-57 decision. There were 11 lead changes and La Salle leaned on a 17-10 fourth period to put it away. Justine Baltazar had 15 points and Santillan delivered 12 points and 14 rebounds. Without Orizu, La Salle dominated the boards, 51-38, had more second chance points, 18-4 because of more offensive rebounds, 19-8. The Archers also dished out more assists, 14-10 and committed less turnovers, 13-16. 

Today, FEU is fighting with full force, now that Orizu and Tuffin are back in 100 percent form. Coach Olsen Racela has the advantage in bench depth as not a single Tamaraw is averaging at least 25 minutes while four Archers are logging at least 25 minutes. La Salle is top heavy and the limited rotation has sometimes put coach Louie Gonzalez in a bind down the stretch. But in a winner-take-all clash, both coaches are expected to go with their big guns for the most part.

FEU is the league’s No. 1 three-point shooting team, hitting 33 percent and No. 1 in perimeter points with 34.1 a game. Overall, the Tamaraws are No. 2 in field goal accuracy at 41 percent. La Salle, however, is No. 1 in field goal percentage allowed at 36 and No. 2 in rebounding with 46.9 an outing. The Archers are low in the free throw shooting ladder, ranking No. 7 of 8 at 63.1 percent.

Tolentino is the only Tamaraw averaging in double figure points, 13.3 and hitting 41 percent from the three-point line. Orizu is averaging 7.8 points and 9.0 rebounds but his startling stat is field goal marksmanship at 71.2 percent. Wendell Comboy, Hubert Cani, Richard Escoto, Tuffin, Jasper Parker, Inigo, Alec Stockton and Kevin Ebona are other weapons in Racela’s vast arsenal.

For La Salle, three players are averaging in twin digit points, Melecio at 15.9, Baltazar 13.4 and Santillan 10.8. Andrei Caracut, graduating Kib Montalbo and rookies Joaqui Manuel, Encho Serrano, Brandon Bates and Samuel are also in the Archers nucleus. How the Archers adjust to Samuel’s re-entry has a major bearing on the outcome today.

FEU is a more experienced squad than La Salle which has enlisted five rookies and comebacking Mark Dyke to join seven holdovers. Gone from La Salle’s team last year are Prince and Ricci Rivero, Abu Tratter, Ben Mbala, Brent Paraiso, Ramil Tero and Josh Gonzales. The Tamaraws lost only leading scorer Ron Dennison and Allen Trinidad, bringing back 14 veterans and recruiting rookies L. J. Gonzales and Cliff Jopia. FEU’s poise will be an edge if it’s a tight game.

The Tamaraws rank last in fastbreak points with 4.9 a game and rely on their halfcourt flow to generate offense. Opponents sometimes allow FEU the low percentage outside shot and sag to prejudice Orizu’s inside position but it’s a gamble that often backfires because the Tamaraws are deadly from the perimeter. The team that controls the boards has the luxury of dictating tempo. La Salle likes to run the floor while FEU thrives in deliberate execution. Either La Salle or FEU will advance to get a crack at Ateneo but right now, the Eagles are farthest from their mind. Making it to the Final Four is the only objective at this point.