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| Graduating team captain Silungan did his best but still came up short in another UP loss |
This storyline is getting too old
already this season.
Much like what the Linkin Park song “In the
End” says, the Maroons “tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t
even matter. “
The UP Fighting Maroons played well enough
for the whole game only to lose again in the end, a 67-63 setback to the FEU
Tamaraws for their 12th loss in 13 outings. The Morayta five on the
other hand ties idle UST and improves to 9-3 to strengthen their bid for a
twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. The loss also automatically assures
that the Maroons finish dead last in the standings again this year.
Roger Pogoy continued his impressive play
towards the homestretch after hitting his career high in their previous game
against UE. Pogoy, who praised God above all else in his pre-game interview,
scattered 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a game where both Terrence
Romeo and RR Garcia did not shoot the ball well. More importantly, the Cebu
native hit two all-important freethrows less than a minute left that helped
seal the tightly contested game in FEU’s favor.
The first quarter saw both teams performing
efficiently in both ends of the floor. Pogoy and Mark Bringas starred for the
Tams early on scoring four points each. Alvin Padilla carried the fight for the
Maroons with two highlight plays, a steal of an inbounds pass plus an and-one
conversion and a great assist to Alinko Mbah for a lay-in to end the first
quarter with UP ahead, 18-16.
Things began getting sloppy for both teams
in the second quarter as FEU missed their freethrows and UP unable to convert
on their outside attempts. There was also a sequence wherein three straight
shot clock violations were called by the referees, one for the Maroons and two
for the Tams.
Romeo then broke the ice hitting a
transition three over Mike Silungan. UP’s Fil-Am captain eventually returned
the favor, getting a rare four point opportunity in the ensuing possession
after an unsportsmanlike foul called on Pogoy. Silungan missed the freethrow
and UP wasn’t able to convert on their extra possession.
The Tams were able to tie it at 34-all at
the half after two freethrow conversions by Pogoy off a Silungan foul. However,
it was Silungan who delivered for UP in the second quarter, with 10 points, six
coming from beyond the arc. Pogoy led all FEU scorers with 10 points as well.
Jelo Montecastro dictated the tempo to
start the second half after not playing entirely in the first. He stole the
ball from Romeo to break the deadlock and would score five more points on two
daredevil drives and a bonus freethrow. Montecastro’s exploits had UP leading
by six, 43-37, halfway through the third period.
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| Garcia starred in a third quarter run that put FEU up by five going to the fourth |
Then Garcia decided to take over his team.
At the three-minute mark of the third, the former UAAP MVP scored six straight
points to turn a 45-42 deficit into a 48-45 lead for the Tams.
Silungan’s two freethrows restored a little
order for the Maroons but a surprise trey from Russell Escoto extended FEU’s
advantage to 51-47. Jett Manuel would go one out of three after being fouled
beyond the arc, while Escoto and Arvie Bringas would both split their charities
for a 53-48 count going into the final frame.
The fourth quarter was marred with two
incidents of unsportsmanlike fouls from FEU. The frst one came from Mac Belo as
he elbowed Padilla after the latter accidentally pulled his shorts when the
former blocked him. The second one came just when Romeo converted on his
and-one opportunity and his team up by seven, 58-51.
Arvie Bringas, who was suspended for two
games because of spitting on Ateneo center Justin Chua, was caught doing
another hooligan-like act on the court after he elbowed Diony Hipolito in the
face while going for a rebound. This happened after Bringas promised to FEU
courtside reporter Judy Saril in an interview before the game that the UAAP
will see a nicer Bringas from now on.
UP used this as a springboard to launch a
5-0 run featuring two inside stabs by Chris Ball and the lead trimmed down to
two, 58-56. Pogoy answered with a fastbreak layup to put FEU ahead by four
again but the gutsy Padilla had other things in mind. The graduating guard
exploded for five straight points to give UP the lead, 61-60 with five minutes
left in the game.
After Romeo’s two charities gave back FEU
the lead, the Maroons mapped out a play that led to Raul Soyud’s floater for
their last taste of the lead 63-62.
FEU’s first round “hero” against UP,
Anthony Hargrove, came up big again for the Tams in a non-controversial way as
the American center scored on a putback of a Garcia miss giving his team a
64-63 lead.
The ensuing possessions were lackluster for
both teams as Soyud set an illegal screen in the next sequence, Romeo shot an
ill-advised three and finally Padilla turned the ball over. Romeo set-up Pogoy at the baseline and the
forward was fouled and eventually madetwo crucial freethrows to put the Tams
ahead by three, 66-63.
Ball missed an easy lay-in that would’ve
cut the lead to a single point and just when things looked bleak for UP, they
get another crack to put the game into overtime after Terrence Romeo turned the
ball over with 25 seconds left.
Manuel and Silungan were able to launch
Hail Mary threes but to no avail. Garcia put the game away with yet another
split from the line for a 67-63 final score.
It was again a matter of who wanted it more
in this game as the Maroons who played with almost no pressure in this game
could not convert in the end after taking the lead in the closing minutes. FEU
used a 5-0 run to end the game and proved that they were the better team.
Also not helping the Maroons’ cause were
the second half missed freethrows when they went four out of 10, compared to
seven of eight in the first. They were also badly outshot (49% against 36%) and
outrebounded (46 against 27) by the more athletic Tamaraws.
FEU finished the game with a 15-for-27
freethrow clip to UP’s 11-for-18. To the Maroons credit, they had a eight less
turnovers than FEU (14 against 22) and lead the points of turnovers department
(19 against 14)
UP plays this season’s host National
University to end their season 75 campaign this Sunday, September 16. FEU still
has two assignments left, versus DLSU and the replay of their controversial
match against NU on September 23.
Notes:
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| From L-R: Mark Juruena, Mo Gingerich and Tata Marata will wear their UP jerseys again next season |
UP Team B players Mark Juruena and Moriah
Gingerich, transferee Tata Marata and alumnus Josant Cervantes was in
attendance.
Silungan and Padilla led the scoring for
the Maroons with 12 and 11 respectively.
Romeo had 13 points and five rebounds.
Garcia finished with 11 points, eight scored in an important third quarter run.
This is the only time this season that the
games were played at the ULTRA/ PSC Arena.
(Credit to the GMA News website and the UP Fighting Maroons Fan Page in Facebook for the pictures)
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