FEU, UST dispute UAAP men’s basketball crown today
Game today:
Mall of Asia Arena
3:30 p.m. – FEU vs UST
THE FAR EASTERN University Tamaraws and the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers lay it all on the line today as they clash for the coveted championship in the deciding Game 3 of the best-of-three finals in the 78th UAAP men’s basketball tournament over at what is expected to be a wildly-raucous Mall of Asia Arena.
The Tamaraws are not keen on reliving the heartache of last season where they won Game 1 but went on to lose the next two games and the crown to the National University Bulldogs. In this final, FEU once again won the series-opener, 75-64, but got edged out by UST in Game 2, 56-62, to set the stage for this winner-take-all Game 3.
Cebuano forward Roger Pogoy reported to Cebu Daily News that the team has been doing well in their practices leading up to the rubber match but confessed that they can’t help but have last year’s finals in their minds. But he was confident enough to state that the result would be different this time around.
“We know the result of this finals will be different from last year. We’re confident with the game plan of coach Nash (Racela),” said the Talisay City-stalwart who once led the University of Cebu Baby Webmasters to the Cesafi juniors crown several years ago.
REDEMPTION
FEU’s chances of claiming their first UAAP title since 2005 will hinge on the play of star guard Mike Tolomia who was awful in Game 2, scoring just seven while missing all 15 of his shots from the field.
Pogoy admitted that the senior guard felt down on his luck but was ready for redemption.
“He was really down after Game 2 but we comforted him and the good thing about it is that he has a chance to bounce back in Game 3,” Pogoy said.
The Growling Tigers, on the other hand, will try to squeeze a little bit more from their own ace, Kevin Ferrer, who was simply unstoppable in the last game, where he drilled the Tamaraws for 29 points, 18 coming in a torrid third period shooting spree where he canned six triples.
It was a feat that had even Pogoy impressed. “I think only an NBA player can do what he did.”
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