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Tams get back in groove, ram Warriors

Axel Iñigo and FEU almost blew a 10-point lead but held their nerve and kept UE winless.
By Ricky Manliguis

QUEZON CITY-- No Wendell Comboy and Richard Escoto.

No Problem for Far Eastern University.

Bucking the absence of its top players due to injuries, the Tamaraws managed to cruise past University of the East, 67-59, to get back in the groove in Season LXXIX of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Sunday at the Big Dome.

Monbert Arong and Axel Iñigo picked up the void left by Comboy with a combined 28-point output, while veteran Raymar Jose tallied a double-double as the defending champions bounced back from a 71-76 loss to Ateneo last week.

Arong and Iñigo accounted for 18 of FEU’s first-half output to build a 10-point lead, 42-32, at the half.

The Red Warriors, however battled back, pulling to within three, 62-59, on a Clark Derige trifecta. But Wilson Bartolome committed an unsportsmanlike foul for elbowing Ron Dennison, sealing its doom for the still winless UE.

The six-foot Arong finished with 16 points five rebounds, and four assists, while Iñigo picked up 12 and five boards. Jose had 11 points and a game-high 22 rebounds for FEU for his double-double, now with an even 2-2 win-loss card and tied with idle University of Santo Tomas.

UE now tied University of the Philippines with a 0-3 card. Mark Anthony Olayon paced the team with 12 points, even as Derige scored nine.

The scores:

FEU 67 - Arong 16, Iñigo 12, Jose 11, Bayquin 6, Dennison 5, Trinidad 4, Holmqvist 4, Ebona 4, Tuffin 3, Orizu 2, Bienes 0.

UE 59 - Olayon 12, Derige 9, Bartolome 6, Palma 6, Charcos 5, Pasaol 5, Varilla 4, Manalang 3, Abanto 3, Batiller 3, De Leon 2, Acuno 1, Armenion 0, Larupay 0, Gagate 0.
Quarterscores: 19-15, 42-32, 55-46, 67-59.

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