Archers tame Tamaraws

source: Jonas Terrado | mb.com.ph

An inadvertent elbow to the right eyebrow from RR Garcia in the second quarter somehow lit a fire on La Salle's Simon Atkins.

The veteran guard came up firing from long range as the Green Archers erupted in the payoff period to stun league-leader Far Eastern University, 80-66, in the 73rd UAAP basketball wars at the Araneta Coliseum.

Atkins fired 19 points, 10 in the final quarter, as the Taft-based squad, which trailed by eight points and 57-54 after three quarters handed the Final Four-bound FEU just its second loss in 11 games.

La Salle's big win, its seventh in 11 games, played a key role in its own aspiration to make the next phase of the tournament as it extended its lead over distant pursuer National University (4-6) to two games for the No. 4 spot.

It was a redeeming victory for the wards of coach Dindo Pumaren, who described their 74-57 loss to bitter rivals Ateneo exact a week ago a "nightmare."

"They showed character after that nightmare and I saw their A-game. In fact, right after that game against Ateneo, I knew we can bounce back because nahiya sila," said Pumaren.

Atkins, one of the league's fan favorites due his charismatic looks, received about three to four stitches in the eyebrow when he was trying to defend Garcia in a chase for an overthrown pass that went out of bounds with 5:27 left in the second period.

But the former La Salle Zobel standout returned in the second half and began to unravel in the fourth, uncorking a triple that made it 63-58 with 8:02 left.

And as the Tamaraws continued to struggle, bungling 10-of-12 shots in the said period, Atkins along with rookies Luigi de la Paz and Jarelan Tampus continued their onslaught to continue extending the Archers' lead.

And then, Atkins completed the shocker by unveiling his third three-pointer with less than five seconds left on the shot clock for a 77-66 lead that rocked the La Salle faithful.

Earlier, University of Santo Tomas took advantage of another endgame collapse by University of the Philippines to hack out a 68-66 victory to snap a five-game losing skid.

The Growling Tigers leaned on Aljon Mariano and Chris Camus plus two unsportsmanlike fouls on the Maroons that turned the game before preventing a last ditch comeback by the latter to register their fourth win in 11 outings.

UST forged a tie with idle University of the East for sixth place to revive its fading Final Four hopes.

The scores:
First Game
UST 68 — Teng 17, Mariano 11, Camus 11, Fortuna 10, Bautista 6, Afuang 6, Pe 5, Mamaril 2, Marata 0, Lo 0, Daquioag 0, Aytona 0.
UP 66 — Reyes Ma. 12, Padilla 12, Gomez 12, Sison 8, Juruena 8, Reyes Mi. 6, Silungan 5, Hipolito 3, Saret 0, Pascual 0, Maniego 0.
Quarters: 14-14; 26-31; 45-51; 67-66.

Second Game
LA SALLE 80 — Atkins 19, de la Paz 12, Tampus 10, Andrada 9, Villanueva 8, Vosotros 5, Mendoza 5, Tolentino 4, Paredes 2, Webb 2, Marata 2, Ferdinand 2.
FEU 66 — Garcia 18, Ramos 14, Romeo 11, Cawaling 8, Cervantes 7, Cruz 2, Sanga 2, Knuttel 2, Bringas 1, Exciminiano 1, Mendoza 0, Noundou 0.
Quarters: 17-21; 34-38; 54-57; 80-66.

Games Sunday (Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. — NU vs UE
4 p.m. — Ateneo vs Adamson