After a putback by Arnold van Opstal that gave the DLSU Green Archers a 12-point lead with one minute and 59 seconds left in the fourth quarter, it looks as if the first round game between the Green Archers and the FEU Tamaraws was already in the books as the boys from Taft were ready to milk the clock down to zero and grab their third win of the season.
However, momentum changed soon after and FEU rose from the dead with good defense and even better offense that led to a 15-2 run in the time remaining that sent the game into overtime.
A strong move in the paint by van Opstal started the overtime scoring for the Green Archers as they went up 77-75 with three minutes and 46 seconds left in the extra period. This however, was the Green Archers’ last field goal and they fell to the FEU Tamaraws who were led by Terrence Romeo’s 25 points and it wasted the spectacular double-double performances from both Jeron Teng and van Opstal.
Late game collapses have caused several losses for the Green-and-White and they could easily have a better record than their 3-4 win-loss slate after the first round of action. The poor first round performance by La Salle earned them the fifth seed, while FEU’s dominance was unmatched as they finished with an immaculate 7-0 record.
The start of the second round however saw a glimmer of hope and welcome change for the Green Archers. A late-game collapse against the AdU Soaring Falcons was once again expected by critics as the Green Archers trailed by one point, 60-59, with over a minute left in the game after leading by as much as seven points in the last quarter. However, big shots coming from veteran guards LA Revilla and Almond Vosotros sealed the game in thrilling fashion as they won, 70-69, in overtime as they grabbed their fourth win of the season.
The FEU Tamaraws on the other hand started the round with a major upset, picking up their first loss at the hands of the NU Bulldogs, 59-58, immediately after the Green Archers topped Adamson. It was the first loss of the season and it was also the first time for star guard and UAAP leading scorer Terrence Romeo to score less than ten points in a game since 2011.
Both teams are set to face-off once again on Sunday, August 18, at 4 pm in the Mall of Asia Arena. The exciting match-up between veteran DLSU guards LA Revilla and Almond Vosotros against FEU’s star backcourt of Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia would be one to watch in the expected fast-paced game. Expect this battle to go down the wire once again and only the team with the bigger heart can walk away with a much coveted victory.
