VEEJAY Pre’s first game against his former team had all the makings of the perfect blend of business and personal - and Kirby Mongcopa made sure Far Eastern Unversity had the last word.
Mongcopa did the heavy lifting, as his 24-point night for the Tamaraws turned their first showdown with Pre into a wire-to-wire 90-79 win over the Fighting Maroons on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
Outworking, outhustling, and ultimately outplaying the perennial contenders, the resurgent outfit from Morayta stretched their win streak to three games in UAAP Season 89.
With Pre now in maroon and green instead of green and gold, Mongcopa helped ensure his side never gave State U much room to breathe, keeping the lead from start to finish.
The result also marked FEU's first win over UP since the second round of Season 82 in 2019.
"We work hard, and we've been saying we were going to be a problem in the future. Once we got a chance to learn the league, and now entering Year 3, the level of maturity is really what's taking over," said head coach Sean Chambers.
Maroons feeling blue
For the Fighting Maroons, the loss marked their first back-to-back defeats since the opening two games of Season 88.
They just could not find a way back after falling behind early, as Pre’s much-anticipated first game against his former team ended in frustration even after a 16-point night shooting 50-percent from the field.
Francis Nnoruka added 14 points, while Rey Remogat chipped in 12, but their efforts all ended in defeat.
The Scores:
FEU 90 – Mongcopa 24, Bautista 16, Pasaol 15, Cabonilas 11, Konateh 10, Felipe 5, Gish 4, Daa 3, Burgos 2, Nakai 0, Rañeses 0.
UP 79 – Pre 16, Nnoruka 14, Remogat 12, Payosing 8, Franco 6, Bayla 5, Stevens 5, Ogana 5, Briones 4, Poyos 2, Palanca 2, Yñiguez 0, Alter 0, Maga 0.
Quarters: 26-13, 43-41, 75-55, 90-79.
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