FAR Eastern University took Louie Alas-less Ateneo's best shot in the first quarter then proceeded to dominate the next three frames en route to a 93-70 rout in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Down by four after the opening salvo, the Tamaraws came out charging and outscored the Blue Eagles, 48-27, in the middle periods.
Mo Konateh stuffed the stat sheet with 29 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals, while Kirby Mongcopa continued his tear with 19 markers, seven dimes, six boards, and two steals.
“We’re working hard in practice every time. Coach Sean [Chambers] is coaching us to play like we’re playing the game. Practice hard and we’re gonna play hard,” said Konateh.
Impressive FEU
Jared Bahay and Kieffer Alas tried to put the Blue Eagles within striking distance, but the green-and-gold was just too hot to handle.
The Tams also got welcome contributions from Jorick Bautista who racked up 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal, as Jedric Daa and Cabs Cabonilas added six and five points, respectively.
“This is UAAP, this is college basketball. Once you win, the pressure mounts even more,” said Chambers, as after dropping their opener against Adamson, he and his wards have now won four in a row to stand alone atop the tight-knit leaderboard.
“We’re not talking about wins and losses, we’re talking about habits. Winning habits, win games,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bahay paced Ateneo with 17 markers, seven dimes, two steals, and two rebounds, while Alas and Shawn Tuano tallied 16 and 13 apiece.
The Scores:
FEU 93 - Konateh 29, Mongcopa 19, Bautista 14, Daa 6, Cabonillas 5, Burgos 4, Felipe 4, Pasaol 3, Hall 3. Montemayor 3, Gish 2, Rañeses 1, Nakai 0, Macapagal 0.
ATENEO 70 - Bahay 17, Alas 16, Tuano 13, Bongo 8, Espinosa 5, Roberts 4, Rogers 4, Kapihe 2, Baruwa 1, Leal 0, Espina 0, Cainglet 0.
Quarters: 23-27, 46-39, 71-54, 93-70
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