BY John Miles Arcenal
AFTER pulling off a 73-70 overtime escape from Adamson, Far Eastern University kept itself well within reach of the UAAP Season 88 playoff race.
The Tamaraws improved to a 4-6 record - still in seventh-place, but just one game behind the three-team logjam at fourth among the Soaring Falcons, Univerity of Santo Tomas, and Ateneo.
“Just like I said to the guys in the locker room, this puts us in a situation where if we continue to play good basketball, we’re in the conversation,” said head coach Sean Chambers.
This young green-and-gold squad has shown flashes of potential since the season tipped off. However, they are still in the process of learning to close out winnable games - games that could have positioned them much better in the standings.
Still, the tactician hasn’t lost faith in his crew, believing FEU controls its own fate.
“Now, we’re 2-1 in the second round,” Chambers noted. “We felt like going into the season, there are certain teams we had to try to sweep, if possible."
"Then there are three teams that we need to try to split with - one of them is our next game, UST. If we can maybe steal a game from La Salle or NU, then we’re in a really good situation.”
Playoff spoiler? Playoff hopefull, still!
Of course, the Tamaraws' remaining games is a gauntlet of playoff hopefuls starting with the Growling Tigers on Sunday and then the Bulldogs and the Green Archers before wrapping up against winless University of the East.
What matters, though, is they remain alive and kicking - despite preseason projections having seen them to be supposedly long gone by now, especially on the heels of the 'Pre-xit.'
“It’s been an amazing season,” Chambers said. “I’m happy that we’ve been able to put ourselves in the conversation at this time of the season.”
And so, for FEU, it’s no longer about how they started, but how they finish.
And as this young Chambers-coached squad is peaking at the right time, don’t count them out just yet.
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