A former player of De La Salle Green Archers head coach Franz Pumaren in the Nokia Pilipinas Youth Team provided the killer blow for Far Eastern University in the final playdate of the Nike Summer League in the FEU Gym on May 25.
Ryan Roose Garcia recovered the leather in a loose ball scramble for a one-handed heave in the paint for the game-winning field goal, 67-66, with four seconds to go. The Archers utilized a quick inbound play to catch the defense unaware but the ball was swiped off Bader Malabes as time ran out.
The Tamaraws thus swept Seniors Group C with five wins. They would face Seniors Group B second seed University of Perpetual Help System Dalta in the quarterfinals.
The Green Archers finished the eliminations with two straight losses after starting 3-0. They ended up in a triple tie with Mapua Institute of Technology and Lyceum of the Philippines University, which defeated Universidad de Manila, 81-64, in the same day.
There would be a swashbuckler of a playoff between the Lyceum-Manila and DLSU on June 2 for the right to face San Beda-College Manila in the quarters. The Intramuros-based squad upset the green and white squad, 74-73, on May 22.
Malabes led the Taft-based squad with 19 points, while Peejay Barua and Kish Co both finished with 13 markers. Co added ten rebounds for a double-double.
Reil Cervantes headed the Tams with 12 points and five rebounds. JR Cawaling produced 11, while RP Smart Gilas Team member Mark Barroca had ten markers, six boards, and six assists.
Action was intense and physical as two Archers appeared to have gone to a boxing match with blood splattering on their jerseys.
Maui Villanueva left the game with a bloodied left forehead coming from a wayward elbow by Jun Tanuan in a loose ball chase. Yutien Andrada broke his nose back in the first half but still played for some minutes in the second.
Scores
FEU 67 — Cervantes 12, Cawaling 11, Barroca 10, Garcia 8, Ramos 7, Noundou 7, Tanuan 5, Sanga 4, Exciminiano 3, Knuttel 0, Eguilos 0.
DLSU 66 — Malabes 19, Barua 13, Co 13, Bagatsing 5, Webb 4, Mendoza 4, Andrada 4, Revilla 2, Banal 2, Villanueva 0, Tolentino 0.
QUARTER SCORING: 10-15, 23-29, 42-47, 67-66