Zavier Lucero scored the go-ahead basket, while Senegalese big man Malick Diouf sank a freebie for good measure in the final minute as University of the Philippines escaped with a 73-70 triumph over Far Eastern University on Tuesday in the 84th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Lucero, getting a pass from Carl Tamayo, put the Maroons for good at 72-70 with a driving shot with 1:25 left, before the 6’11” Diouf split his charities with 25.2 seconds to go for the final count to save the day for the Fighting Maroons, who picked up their eighth straight win—their longest winning streak in 18 years.
The Tamaraws had three big chances to force overtime, but RJ Abarrientos couldn’t find his range in the three-point area every time FEU took possession of the ball in the final minute.
Ricci Rivero played one of his best games in the season when he top-scored for 19 points and had five rebounds, spearheading the Fighting Maroons to their 8-1 win-loss record.
Tamayo added 14 points and six boards as the Katipunan cagers remained in second place behind front-running Ateneo. CJ Cansino knocked in 12.
“In the first half, hindi naming masyado makuha ‘yung rhythm namin. Pero, iyung depensa namin, especially in the third quarter, doon naming nakuha iyung confidence, kaya gumanda ang offense,” said Maroons’ coach Goldwin Monteverde.
The game got into its final deadlock at 70-all behind the three-point play of FEU’s Emmanuel Ojuola in the 2:33 mark of the fourth period.
But Ojuola, who had a 14 points and 16 boards, bungled a chance to put FEU back in the lead with a pair of missed free throws in the final 1:46, before Lucero then scored the go-ahead basket.
The Tams, who have a 3-6 record in sixth spot, were led by Abarrientos and LJ Gonzales, who eked out 13 points apiece.