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Jorick Bautista and Royce Alforque come through the clutch for the FEU Tamaraws as they get back at first-round tormentor NU Bulldogs for their first winning streak in UAAP Season 87
MANILA, Philippines – When the game is at its crucial stages, count on Jorick Bautista to deliver the killer blow for the FEU Tamaraws.
For the nth time this season, Bautista came through the clutch for the Tamaraws as they started their first winning streak of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament with a thrilling 65-58 escape against their first-round tormentor NU Bulldogs at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, October 16.
With FEU holding a precarious 61-58 advantage in the dying seconds of the ball game, Bautista knocked down the cold-blooded, dagger trey with just 9.7 seconds remaining to extend their lead to two possessions and seal the win for the Tamaraws.
UAAP | WATCH:
☄️JORICK BAUTISTA FROM THE GREAT BEYOND☄️
He nails the proverbial dagger to give FEU the 64-58 lead against NU with 9.7 left! #UAAPSeason87 pic.twitter.com/vAT5LxU1Gu
— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) October 16, 2024
The hard-earned victory put the Tamaraws at the sixth spot as they broke a three-way tie with the Bulldogs and the Ateneo Blue Eagles with a 3-6 record.
“I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but like I said a couple of weeks back, this second round will be a lot different for us,” said FEU head coach Sean Chambers.
“We’re getting comfortable and acclimated. We’re understanding our goals and our game plans,” he added.
Prior to Bautista’s huge triple, it was veteran guard Royce Alforque who sank crucial back-to-back baskets to give the Tamaraws a much-needed 61-56 cushion after leading by only a single point.
After NU’s Jake Figueroa converted on a smooth layup at the 2:17 mark of the final frame to pull the Bulldogs within one, 56-57, Alforque took matters into his own hands and connected on a crafty bank shot to give FEU a 59-56 edge with exactly two minutes to go.
Alforque then hit another tough hook shot to put FEU up 61-56 with 1:18 remaining, before NU big man PJ Palacielo responded with a quick basket to trim the deficit back to just a one-possession affair, 61-58.
Coming off a monster 13-point, 26-rebound double-double performance in their 76-72 overtime win against Adamson last Saturday, October 12, rookie foreign student-athlete Mo Konateh powered the Tamaraws anew with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Bautista backed up Konateh with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while rookie forward Veejay Pre and Alforque added 12 and 9 markers, respectively.
Jolo Manansala paced the Bulldogs with 11 points, while Palacielo chipped in 10.
Figueroa flirted with a double-double of 9 points and 13 rebounds for NU, which suffered its second straight setback and fell to a 2-7 card.
The Scores
FEU 65 – Konateh 22, Bautista 17, Pre 12, Alforque 9, Montemayor 2, Pasaol 2, Ona 1, Anonuevo 0, Daa 0, Nakai 0.
NU 58 – Manansala 11, Palacielo 10, Figueroa 9, Garcia 8, Jumamoy 6, Francisco 5, Perciano 4, Parks 3, Enriquez 2, Yu 0, Padrones 0, Lim 0, Santiago 0, Dela Cruz 0, Tulabut 0.
Quarters: 10-12, 29-24, 44-48, 65-58.
– Rappler.com
