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Bulldogs deal Tamaraws their first loss

National University combined clutch free throw shooting with stingy defense in the crunch to derail Far Eastern University, 59-58, and hand the Tamaraws their first loss in UAAP Season 76.

The Bulldogs canned five big free throws and held the Tamaraws scoreless in the last 3:39 to eke out the morale-boosting victory and win their second straight.
 
Aside from avenging an 83-87 defeat in their first meeting last July 13, NU seized solo second with its fifth win in eight outings while snapping FEU’s seven-game winning streak.

Starting playmaker Gelo Alolino tallied a team-high 13 points on top of five rebounds, two assists and two steals but it was the late-game exploits of their prized duo–reigning two-time league MVP Ray Parks and Sean Mbe–coupled with an invigorated defense spelled the winning formula for the Bulldogs.

Former league MVP RR Garcia led all scorers with 20 points, half of them coming in the fourth canto, but backcourt buddy Terrence Romeo groped for form against the Bulldogs’ defense led by Maurice Porter, coming up with just eight markers on a nightmarish 3-of-16 shooting from the field.
 
The Main Man: Despite his foul woes, Ray Parks proved he can still provide the needed help for the Bulldogs in time.

The 6-foot-4 wingman only had seven points but three of those came from the 15-foot line inside the final minute of play that enabled NU to complete its come-from-behind win.
 
Honorable Mention: Emmanuel Mbe had another double-double outing of 10 points and 11 rebounds plus two blocks in 29 minutes of action.

More importantly, the 6-foot-6 African provided the needed inside presence for the Bulldogs as they grinded out the victory against the tough Tamaraws.
 
Game Turning Point: After a Mac Belo triple stretched FEU’s lead to 58-54 lead, NU refused to give up and used the 15-foot line to get back in the game.

Three made freebies by Mbe and Parks pulled the Bulldogs within one with 32.3 seconds to play.

In the ensuing play, Terrence Romeo took matters into his own hands but committed a costly turnover as he slipped against the defense of Maurice Porter and eventually lost the leather to Parks.

Then NU’s ace wingman got fouled by Garcia in the break and coolly sank the game-winning freebies with 9.5 seconds to play.

Despite calling multiple timeouts, the Tams failed to deliver, with Mike Tolomia’s floater failing to go in as players chased the leather in a mad scramble as time expired.
 
They Said It:
NU coach Eric Altamirano: “I told them before the game ‘For us to beat FEU, we need to assert ourselves on defense.’ And it really showed today. Romeo is Romeo. I don’t think you can really stop him. We just wanted him to take tough shots and contain him the best that we can. Porter did a great job on him. “I like what happened in the end. We were down by four but the boys did not lose heart. We regrouped in that crucial part of the game. True enough, we were able to come back with our defense.”
 
NU forward Ray Parks: “I just did everything what the team needs from me. I’m really proud of my teammates for stepping up today.”
 
The scores:
NU (59) – Alolino 13, Mbe 10, Khobuntin 10, Parks 7, Villamor 4, Rono 4, Porter 4, Perez 4, Javillonar 2, Alejandro 1, Javelona 0, De Guzman 0.

FEU (58) – Garcia 20, Tolomia 8, Romeo 8, Cruz 6, Belo 5, Mendoza 4, Hargrove 3, Inigo 2, Pogoy 2, Sentcheu 0, Jose 0, Dennison 0, Aguilon 0.

Quarterscores: 17-17, 31-25, 50-43, 59-58.