FEU, San Beda share Nat’l Collegiate Championship title
The San Beda Red Lions – one of the co-champions in the PCCL, receive their award at center court. (INQUIRER PHOTO)
The Far Eastern University Tamaraws pulled away late to beat Cebu’s own University of San Carlos Warriors, 82-77, and capture one half of the national championship in the 2015 National Collegiate Championship yesterday at the Arena in San Juan.
The win meant that both the Tamaraws and the NCAA’s San Beda Red Lions will go home with titles as league officials decided against having a championship game because of a lack of venue and the tight schedule of the holidays. The Red Lions became co-champion with a dominant 94-72 romp over NCAA rivals, the Letran Knights.
Robert Bolick and Davon Potts helped set the tone early as their energy and production buoyed the Red Lions to a 26-9 first period lead. Potts eventually led the squad in scoring with 11 points with nine of his teammates contributing between seven and nine markers. San Beda’s Bolick, Potts and import Donald Tankoua were eventually named to the game’s Mythical Five alongside Letran’s Jerrick Balanza and Rey Nambatac, who scored 15 and 11 points, respectively, for the reigning NCAA champions.
In the second game, the Warriors trailed, 49-57, heading to the fourth but pulled to 55-57 after split free-throws by Ian Tagapan. FEU threatened to blow the game wide open behind a 13-3 run anchored on Prince Orizu, Joe Trinidad and Steve Holmqvist who canned a tripled for a 70-58 lead.
However, the Warriors relented and trimmed the deficit to four, 70-74, after an undergoal stab by Charles Pepito off a great drop pass from Tagapan, exactly two minutes to go. But the Tamaraws just had too much firepower as Trinidad finished them off with a floater and then a long three-pointer to raise the lead back to nine, 79-70.
The NCC crown is FEU’s third matching Ateneo’s feat in this competition.
Norwegian Ken Holmqvist was named as the tournament MVP after getting a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Trinidad led the team with 19 points while Steve Holmqvist added 10.
The Warriors got 20 from Tagapan but Cameroonian powerhouse Shooster Olago was held down to just 14 on 4-of-12 shooting. The team’s other import, Espoir Toyambe, added 13.
Tagapan and Olago were named to the game’s Mythical Five alongside FEU’s Trinidad, Prince Orizu and Ken Holmvquist.
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