Far Eastern University avoided a three-game losing streak after making easy work of shorthanded University of the East, 95-76, in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.
With the absence of coach Chris Gavina and Wello Lingolingo due to suspensions, the Red Warriors struggled mightily and succumbed to the hungry Tamaraws, who notched their second season win at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
Janrey Pasaol, who registered a double-double of 17 points and 10 assists, shrugged off UE’s situation and said FEU won, not because of the Red Warriors’ depleted lineup, but because of their eagerness to escape a losing slump to end the first round of eliminations.
‘I guess people can use those terms (shorthanded) but we all know UE. You can’t count them out because every player there can score. We didn’t think about them not having Lingolingo or their coach,’ the sophomore guard said.
‘For us, we just played and focused on defense because that’s the only thing we talked about.’ FEU, which led UE to end the opening quarter at 22-19, pulled away as early as the second quarter with a 14-6 rally capped off by a Liam Salangsang jumper at the 6:13 mark to build a 36-25 lead.
The Tamaraws ended the half with a huge 52-39 lead, which the Red Warriors never recovered from.
Two other players finished with double-double ouputs with Mo Konateh scattering 15 points and 14 rebounds to go with Kirby Mongcopa’s 12-point and 11-rebound output. Jorick Bautista top-scored FEU with 22.
Precious Momowei had a double-double himself for UE with 23 points and 11 rebounds but the Red Warriors remained winless in the season after seven games to end the first round of eliminations.