Lady Tamaraws keep semifinal hopes alive

Far Eastern University (FEU) kept its slim semifinal hopes alive following a 57-51 win over also-ran University of the East (UE) in Season 87 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Rebounding from a 54-70 loss to reigning champion UST last week, the Lady Tamaraws improved their record to 3-8 with four games left in the elimination round.

FEU broke away from a struggling UE side with a dominant 16-7 performance in the third quarter, turning a slim two-point halftime lead into an 11-point cushion, 47-36, heading into the final period.

The Lady Warriors, however, refused to go down without a fight. The combined efforts of Malienne center Kamba Kone and Jearzy Ganade narrowed a five-point deficit to just two at 49-47 with 2:08 left on the clock.

A late three-pointer by Erica Lopez, an and-one floater from MJ Manguiat, and an inside bucket from Maria Paras sealed FEU’s third victory in 10 outings, replicating their 62-56 first-round win over UE on 18 September.

In juniors play, Gab delos Reyes continued to display fine form as he led UE to a 72-59 victory over National University Nazareth School to clinch the first Final Four.

The 16-year-old forward, a transferee from Lourdes School Quezon City, delivered his second consecutive double-double performance, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks to keep the Junior Warriors’ undefeated streak of 10 games alive.