Belo comes through as Tamaraws outlast Bulldogs in overtime
The Far Eastern University Tamaraws claimed the solo second sport in the UAAP men's basketball standings with a 74-70 overtime victory over the National University Bulldogs, Sunday afternoon at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Now holding a 6-2 record, the Tamaraws will be at either solo second or be in a triple tie for first depending on the result of the Ateneo versus La Salle match.
Mark Belo had a career-high 23 points in the game while adding 10 rebounds and three assists to lead the Tamaraws. He sealed the FEU win by swishing two free throws with only six seconds left in the overtime period.
NU on the other hand banked on the inside dominance of Alfred Aroga who had 17 points and five rebounds although he committed eight turnovers.
Troy Rosario and Gelo Alolino both scored 14 points for the Bulldogs but they failed to get baskets in the closing moments of the important game.
The Tamaraws took an early three-point lead in the extra period after a free throw from Anthony Hargrove and a jumper from Carl Bryan Cruz. The Bulldogs refused to fall behind thanks to the efforts of Troy Rosario.
Tristan Perez made a free throw for NU to cut FEU’s lead down to two points at 70-68 with 1:45 left in overtime.
With 28 seconds left in the game, Mike Tolomia inexplicably forced the issue rather than letting the clock run down. Luckily for the FEU guard, Cruz showed up for an emergency pass, converting it into a fall-away jumper for a 72-68 advantage.
NU ran a pretty play, which ended with an easy basket from Alfred Aroga to cut their deficit to two points.
Expecting a foul, Cruz simply held the ball for FEU instead of trying to evade NU’s defense. As a result, the Bulldogs were able to force a jump ball. The tap however bounced to the Tamaraws forcing NU to foul Belo who made the game-sealing free throws.
NU will get a chance to bounce back on Wednesday as they take on the winless Adamson Falcons while the Tamaraws will battle the UST Tigers on Saturday.
Alolino had a golden shot at handing the Bulldogs the win in regulation. He held on to the ball with 17 seconds left in the clock with the score tied at 65-all. The FEU defense however stood strong, forcing Alolino a difficult jumper that hit nothing else but the right side of the board to force overtime.
The Main Man: Belo did not only score FEU’s game-sealing free throws, he also led his squad with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Tolomia had an outstanding stat line against the Bulldogs with 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while Cruz and RR Pogoy combined for 18 points and nine rebounds.
Game Turning Point: The jump ball with only a few seconds left in overtime was turning point of the game. If the Bulldogs got the tap, they will have to either tie or even get the lead. However, Cruz won the jump. Belo got the possession for FEU and he made two free throws after getting a foul.
He Said It:
FEU head coach Nash Racela: We're focused on a per-game basis. The UAAP is so balanced. Can't look at the standings.
