Archers makes semis cast

Making up of its failure to reached the semifinals last year,De La Salle University
hammered out a decisive 78-69 victory over University of Santo Tomas yesterday and completed the final four cast in the 73rd UAAP Mens Baskeball Tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Far Eastern University had earlier ousted National University via a 77-62 triumph,giving the Green Archers free ride to the semifinals,But coach Dindo Pumaren's charged worked hard nontheless to post their eigth victory against four defeats in a tie with idle Adamson.

The Green Archers,who missed the semis for the first time in season 16 season year,joined FEU (10-2)defending champion Ateneo (9-3)and Adamson in the Final Four,with the focus now shifting on the battle for the top two slots that carry with a twice to beat edge.

Skipper Simon Atkins and forward Joshua Webb scored 14 points a pieces for the Archers,who are rebuilding after the dominating the league for years under the league for years elder Pumarens.

Webb touched off searing run that turned a 50-46 lead to 66-50 the biggest lead to La Salle with 6:58 still in the last period and never looked back.

"We're very tentative in the first half,probably because of the pressure .Medyo nakalimutan nila ang rules sa depensa.But we executed better the second half." Pumaren said.

The Bulldogs,tipped to finally contend for the titles in two years,were still very much in the thick of the figth,trailing 52-59 after three periods,but he Tams proved better in the payoff periods.

Sophomore guard RR Garcia, a strong candidate for the Most Valuable Players award knocked in five triples to finished with 23 points Alredch Ramos and Pipo Noundo chipped in 11 points each for FEU.

The 6 foot 2 Webb went perfect from from the two points area,nailing all of his five attempts,while the 5foot 11 Atkins,names last week's top performer,drained three of his four tries from beyond the arc.

The Tamaraws,who also extnded the mastery over Bulldogs for nine years,are priming up for their match anticipated second round battle with the Blue Eagles on Sept 11.with the result likely to determined which teams would bag the top two slots

BY CHRISTINE MONCADA BUSINESS INSIGHT MALAYA



Were glad that were in the(final four)," said Pumaren, a rookie coach who replaced older brother Franz." Nobody really expected us(to make it to the semis)because were a young team but we proved we can."

The tigers who finished fourth last season,a rung higher than the Green Archers,absorbed their eigth defeat against four wins in a tie with UE while the Bulldogs slipped to 5-7,both teams flickering final four hopes finally grounding to a stop.