Far Eastern University-Diliman (FEU-D) will enter the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 87 junior high school basketball tournament Final Four armed with a six-game winning streak after dismantling Zane Kallos-less Ateneo de Manila University, 69-55, at the close of the elimination round on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Baby Tamaraws, the second-seeded team holding the twice-to-beat advantage, will take on third-ranked University of Santo Tomas in the Final Four on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
In the other pairing, top-seeded University of the East faces inaugural champion National University Nazareth School.
The tip-off time of the games will be announced on Saturday evening.
It was a perfect warmup for the Baby Tamaraws, according to head coach Muriel Garcia.
“We already buried whatever pain we suffered in the second round and used that as an experience moving forward,” the outspoken Garcia said.
“I told them that whatever we feel right now,we should use it as motivation to get better as we head into the Final Four.”
Consecutive three-pointers from Anton Lopez, Duke Santos, Denden Enriquez and CP Miranda allowed the Baby Tamaraws to convert a slim 39-33 lead to a comfortable 53-41 lead heading into the payoff period.
Powered by the likes of Prince Carino, Kierdy Victoria, Lopez and Miranda, FEU-D sealed its sixth straight victory with an 11-0 run, sending Ateneo down a game-high 68-49 hole with 4:06 remaining.
Lopez led the Baby Tamaraws with 16 points, two steals, one rebound, and one assist, while Victoria ended the day with nine points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals on a game-high plus-21 efficiency in 15 minutes and 56 seconds of play.
Santos chipped in eight points, four assists, and one rebound, while Mark Dulin nearly tallied a double-double with seven points and 14 rebounds to go along with two steals and one block.
Kallos, the Most Valuable Player frontrunner after the first round, missed Ateneo’s final game of the season due to a left knee injury.
In the final game of the elimination round, De La Salle-Zobel ended its campaign on a high note, trumping Adamson University, 73-59.
With this, the Junior Archers finished fifth with a 6-8 record followed by the Blue Eagles at 5-9.
The Baby Falcons (3-11) and University of the Philippines Integrated School (0-14) wrapped up their campaigns at the bottom of the standings.