UE ends NU's win streak to rule Filoil tournament

University of the East has taken one giant leap towards reclaiming lost glory in the collegiate basketball scene.

Working behind a blistering fourth-quarter storm, the Red Warriors put an emphatic finish in their astonishing run in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup, dethroning the favored National University 81-68 Wednesday in a highly-entertaining finals match-up at The Arena in San Juan.

On a high after scoring an equally-thrilling 77-75 semifinals victory against University of Santo Tomas last Friday, UE wiped out a nine-point deficit in the third then went for the kill with a 34-point explosion in the fourth to foil NU’s title-retention bid.

Ralf Olivarez and Lord Casajeros came up big with a combined 35 points while prolific playmaker Roi Sumang, eventually named the tournament’s MVP, dished out a solid all-around outing of 18 markers, nine rebounds and six assists to help the Red Warriors clinch their second league title and the first since 2008.

Sierra Leone reinforcement Charles Mammie proved a genuine force in the lane with a game-high 21 rebounds on top of 10 points while serving as the anchor of UE’s unforgiving defense which held NU to just a lone field goal in the final 10 minutes.

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Reigning two-time UAAP MVP Ray Parks tallied a game-high 23 points plus seven rebounds and five assists but uncharacteristically fouled out–no thanks to a poor reach-in foul against Olivarez–with still 5:44 to play.

Making matters worse, Cameroon import Sean Mbe was also tossed out for incurring his fifth and final foul at the 4:30 mark in the fourth, leaving the Bulldogs completely in disarray in the face of the Red Warriors’ strong windup.

The stunning defeat was also a bitter pill to swallow for the Bulldogs, who saw their 21-game winning streak that dated back to last season come to a shuddering halt.
 
The Main Man: Judging from his superb outing in the pre-season, “Super” Sumang is in for another breakout performance in the upcoming UAAP Season 76 cage wars that fires off on June 29.

Armed with a slick set of offensive skills coupled with steady playmaking ability, Sumang proved a handful against his NU defenders, including Parks, craftily pouncing on every crack in the lane.

Sumang also did some of the damage by setting up the table for the Red Warriors.
 
Honorable Mentions: Before Sumang finished off the Bulldogs, it was the likes of Olivarez and Casajeros who sparked the Red Warriors’ uprising.

Trailing 47-55 heading into the fourth, the duo emerged as the unlikely source of offensive production for UE, conspiring for 14 points in the team’s decisive 18-3 onslaught that clearly turned the tables around.

Not yet done, Olivarez also showed he’s armed with steely nerves, drilling all of his four free throws that kept the Bulldogs at bay in the final minute.
 
Game Turning Point: Held down to just 32 points in the first half, NU got going in the third and appeared in control of the match, leading by as many as 50-41 before taking an eight-point lead into the fourth.

Then UE, with Olivarez and Casajeros teaming up, suddenly broke loose with a jarring 18-3 charge anchored on a suffocating 2-3 zone defense to take a big 63-57 cushion as Parks fouled out.

Not letting up, the Red Warriors then put their chips on Sumang, who produced a pair of highlight reels–including an ankle-breaking crossover move against defender Robin Rono–in capping the team’s enormous win.
 
Quotable Quotes:
 
“Masaya kami dahil lahat ng pinaghirapan namin sa practice nagbunga na,” said Sumang.
 
“Basketball is a game of streaks. There’s no guarantee (that we can win the UAAP title). But for today, its all about handwork,” said UE coach Boycie Zamar.