It's FEU vs Ateneo again

Game Saturday (Smart-Araneta Coliseum)

3 p.m. — Ateneo vs FEU (Best-of-3 Finals)

MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University, a team ravaged by injuries, completed its domination of the team many believed had the clear chance of ending Ateneo's three-year title reign.

The Tamaraws relied on a rookie that was forgotten for a number of games before preventing a late collapse in the homestretch to hack out a pulsating 78-74 win over Adamson to earn a return trip to the UAAP finals.

Cris Tolomia was the star of the game that was witnessed by nearly 15,000 fans at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum as he posted 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes off the bench to earn the Morayta-based squad a finals rematch with Ateneo which starts on Saturday.

FEU's win, however, came after a near collapse in the final two minutes when the Falcons blew away an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to 76-74 with 51 seconds left thanks to triples by reserve guard Jerick Canada.

But the Tamaraws managed to hang on when they grabbed three offensive rebounds after two misses before Terence Romeo sealed the deal with two charities with only fur ticks left.

Romeo, who earlier made costly turnovers that sent a huge FEU gallery at the edge of their seats, backed Tolomia 15 points.

The Tamaraws thus became just the seventh No. 3 team to knock off a No. 2 squad, joining University of Santo Tomas (1994 and 2006), La Salle (1997), Ateneo (2002), University of the East (2009) and their predecessors from 2000.

"Unang-una nawalan kami ng players at ang dami naming injuries," said FEU coach Bert Flores. "Struggling kami pero dinahan-dahan namin at kahit di namin nakuha yung No. 2 nakakuha kami ng confidence nung against La Salle (sa last game ng elimination round)."

It was a stinging defeat for Adamson, which ended the elimination round with a stunning 62-46 rout of Ateneo that denied the latter a 14-game sweep and an outright finals berth.

The San Marcelino-based cagers, aiming for their first finals appearance since 1992, had a twice-to-beat advantage entering the series but Romeo and RR Garcia forced a rubber match with a 59-49 win on Thursday.

With Romeo struggling in the first half and star guard RR Garcia in foul trouble, Tolomia took the scoring cudgels by scattering 9 points in the third.

"Siguro chinallenge lang ako ng mga coaches na kailangan may maipakita akong laro sa second game," said Tolomia, who will face his former PH U-18 teammate Kiefer Ravena in the finals.

Also delivering for FEU was lanky but inexperienced big man Russel Escoto, who weathered off Adamson's feted big men Eric Camson, Austin Manyara, Rodney Brondial and Jan Colina, for 10 points, nine rebounds and two steals despite nursing an injured right hand.

The scores:

FEU 78 — Tolomia 19, Romeo 15, Garcia 11, Escoto 10, Ramos 10, Cruz 8, Exciminiano 5, Pogoy 0, Bringas 0, Knuttel 0.

ADAMSON 74 — Canada 14, Camson 13, Nuyles 12, Lozada 9, Alvarez 9, Colina 8, Manyara 4, Petilos 3, Brondial 2, Cabrera 0.

Quarters: 18-14; 33-35; 57-50; 78-74.

Source Manila Bulletin