UAAP: Tamaraws upbeat of chances after triumphant end to round 1 | ABS-CBN

ADVERTISEMENT

dpo-dps-seal
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!

UAAP: Tamaraws upbeat of chances after triumphant end to round 1

UAAP: Tamaraws upbeat of chances after triumphant end to round 1

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Clipboard

The National University (NU) and Far Eastern University (FEU) battle during the first round of the UAAP season 85 men
The National University (NU) and Far Eastern University (FEU) battle during the first round of the UAAP season 85 men's basketball in Antipolo, Rizal on October 23, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines -- After their worst start ever to a season in the UAAP's Final 4 era, Far Eastern University (FEU) now enters the second round with great confidence, thanks to a pair of hard-earned wins.

The Tamaraws ended the first round with back-to-back victories over University of Santo Tomas (UST) and National University (NU). The wins came in contrasting fashions: they routed the Growling Tigers, 75-60, for their breakthrough win before grinding out a 47-44 triumph over the Bulldogs.

"Malaking confidence-booster ito," FEU coach Olsen Racela said after they compiled a 2-5 win-loss record to close out the first half of the season.

"Getting wins, it makes things easier to motivate the players," Racela added. "When we were in a funk in that losing streak, kung anu-ano nang motivation ang ginamit ko sa kanila eh. But they saw that we can get wins."

ADVERTISEMENT

"Noong first three losses namin, sabi ko as long as we play that way, the wins will come. Sasabihin ko pa rin 'yun. Ganun pa rin ako. As long as they put in the effort that will give us the chance in the endgame, that’s all I want as a coach," he added.

The Tamaraws are in seventh place in the league standings, but are just one game behind Adamson University, University of the East, and De La Salle University in the race for a spot in the Final 4.

As things stand, Racela believes that they now have a "fighting chance" to extend their streak of eight consecutive Final 4 appearances. Their win over NU was particularly significant: the Bulldogs entered the game with a four-match winning streak and were eyeing to join the University of the Philippines at the top spot.

Instead, the Tamaraws pulled off the upset that kept their season afloat and dealt NU a tough blow to end the first round.

"Anything can happen with just one win," said Racela. "'Yun 'yung sinabi ko sa kanila. I know malayo pa kami, but this will really give us that confidence and that chance."

Racela is banking on his players to build on their two-game streak when they start their second-round campaign on Sunday against University of the East at the Araneta Coliseum. He believes that momentum is now on their side but knows that the Tamaraws need to play better as a unit in order to keep their good run going.

"I think we’ve been playing well, especially defensively, but more than that, yung belief na we can compete now with our present lineup," he said. "Everyone just has to be confident and acknowledge each other, help out each other."

"Kailangan namin ng total team effort, 'di lang Ljay [Gonzales], 'di lang Xyrus [Torres], 'di lang Bryan Sajonia, 'di lang Cholo [Añonuevo]. Kailangan lahat talaga mag-contribute," he stressed.

UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines.

Related video:

Watch more News on iWantTFC

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.