Tamaraws nip Eagles to secure semis top ranking

Rookie Terrence Romeo stepped in for the foul-riddled star RR Garcia to lead Far Eastern University to a thrilling 74-72 win over two-time defending champion Ateneo in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Ateneo could smell victory with a six-point lead with 3:24 left in the game. But the Tamaraws went on an 8-0 run to finish off the Blue Eagles. With MVP candidate Garcia riding the bench for most of the game with four fouls, Romeo was tasked by Tamaraws coach Glenn Capacio to take on the role of court general for the Morayta-based squad. Romeo scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first double-double performance this season. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. He only had one assist. After a Reil Cervantes split at the charity line, the Blue Eagles had several chances to send the game into overtime but were foiled by a tough FEU defense. Ryan Buenafe drove to the basket but his shot was partially blocked by Paul Sanga. Romeo then grabbed the loose ball and was later fouled by Emman Monfort with 7.2 seconds left on the game clock. Romeo, however, missed both free throws giving Ateneo another opportunity to either extend the match for another five minutes or complete a come-from-behind win with a three-pointer. Garcia came up with a timely defensive stop when he prevented a streaking Monfort from scoring on a fastbreak. Ateneo seemed to be headed for the win after an Eric Salamat trey pushed the Eagles' lead to 72-66 with three minutes and 24 seconds left in the contest, prompting a premature celebration by the predominantly Ateneo crowd. Romeo scored on FEU's next play, sparking a closing 8-0 spurt highlighted by Garcia's three-point bomb Garcia, quiet through most of the contest, delivered in the crucial stages of the match. The former RP Youth team standout, nursing four fouls in the third quarter, fired his dagger of a three-pointer with 42.6 seconds left to give FEU a 73-72 edge. Garcia finished with eight points, one rebound, four assists and two steals, paltry production for one of the UAAP's top players. Helped by some defensive stops and a few breaks that made coach Norman Black rue game officials afterwards, the Tams finished the double-round eliminations with 12 wins and two losses, equaling the same mark they held in 2005, the last time they won the crown. Ateneo and FEU may meet again for the 2010 championship. FEU will first have to hurdle fourth-seed La Salle in the Final Four slated on Thursday with the former wielding a twice-to-beat advantage. "I'm happy that we got the No. 1 spot and hopefully we get the same result as the 2005 team," said coach Glenn Capacio. "But we're up against a tough team like La Salle so we have to prepare doubly hard." Ateneo dropped to 10-4 for second spot and a date with No. 3 Adamson in the semis. The Eagles likewise hold a twice-to-beat bonus. Aldrech Ramos, another MVP candidate, also posted significant numbers for the Tams, with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Cervantes and Sanga finished with 14 and 11 markers each. "It was payback time for the reserves because RR saved us a lot during the season," said Capacio. It was another heart-breaking loss for the Blue Eagles, who failed to score in the game's final three minutes before a packed coliseum. Buenafe led Ateneo with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Nico Salva tallied 13 points and eight boards. Salamat had 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Chua scored 11 points and had seven boards. Playmaker Emman Monfort was having a sub-par game, scoring just six points, yet Ateneo chose him to take the final shot, a miss. JVP/HS, GMANews.TV