by Waylon Galvez
Game Saturday (Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City)
3:30 p.m. – Adamson vs UP
Far Eastern University played the spoiler’s role to a mouth-watering La Salle versus Ateneo semifinals as the Tamaraws eliminated the Green Archers in their playoff for No. 4 in the 81st UAAP men’s basketball last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Arvin Tolentino buried a booming three-point basket with 3.1 seconds left to help FEU beat La Salle, 71-70, and arranged a semifinal meeting with top seed and defending champion Ateneo.
“I love how this team bonded through adversity, they never gave up,” said FEU mentor Olsen Racela, a member of the 1988 UAAP champion Ateneo who will face his alma mater for the third time in three years since he started coaching the Tamaraws in 2016.
“That’s what gives me the confidence. It’s fitting that we made Final Four this way… we’ve been battling adversity this season and throughout the game,” said the former PBA great.
FEU’s win propelled the school to the Final Four for the sixth consecutive season versus twice-to-beat Ateneo – the top team after the elimination round with a 12-2 record – on Sunday at the Big Dome.
History, however, is on the side of the Blue Eagles.
In the last two seasons, FEU twice forced a twice-to-beat Ateneo squad to a no-tomorrow match, but the team of coach Tab Baldwin came through with victories on both occasions.
Racela, who took over FEU’s coaching chores in 2016 when younger brother Nash – author of the team’s 2015 championship – became the coach of the TNT KaTropa in the PBA, hopes things will be different this time.
“The target is to make it to the Final Four, and we achieved that. Now we face Ateneo again. I hope, I hope,” said Racela, whose team split its elimination round meeting with the Blue Eagles.
