FEU trips NU in a wire-to-wire win

Blue Eagle turned Tamaraw, Arvin Tolentino fired 23 points against the struggling NU Bulldogs to claim their third win this season, while sending the Bulldogs to a second consecutive loss. 
By Kevin Estrada

QUEZON CITY -- UAAP season 80 hosts Far Eastern dominate from the opening tip up to the final horn, frsustrating National U in a thrilling encounter, 90-83 in Wednesday's men's basketball wars at the Big Dome.

Olsen Racela's Tamaraws denied the Bulldogs a taste of the lead, having led by as much as 15 and kept their cool when NU made a late uprising to go a game above .500.

Arvin Tolentino came off the bench to fire 23 points on 41% field goal shooting.

Axel Iñigo and Barkley Eboña backstopped the transferee, joining Tolentino in double digits with 12 and 10 respectively.

FEU's bench negated the 14-point NU lead in starters' scoring by firing 54 as opposed to NU who only have 33.

NU skipper JJ Alejandro paced the Bulldogs with 23 but it was not enough to drop down to 2-3 for the season.

FEU came out of the game with guns blazing, with Orizu, Dennison and co. put the Tams up front by seven at the end of the first.

NU came close in the next period, pulling to within a point but Tolentino fired the last six points out of his 11 in the second to bring the lead back to seven at the half.

FEU saw their lead ballooned to 15, 70-55 on a Tolentino three-ball before NU created a last minute stand to lead by 8 at the close of third.

The Bulldogs tried to mount a last-ditch stand care of a 9-2 run thanks to Alejandro, Nico Abatayo and Dave Yu but Tolentino's dagger at 1:06 remaining ended such resistance for their first winning streak of the campaign.

The Scores:

FEU 90 -- Tolentino 23, Iñigo 12, Eboña 10, Comboy 9, Parker 9, Tuffin 7, Dennison 6, Orizu 6, Cani 5, Escoto 3

NU 83 -- Alejandro 23, Aquino 13, Gaye 8, Yu 7, Morido 7, Salem 6, Mosqueda 6, Bartlett 4, Lastimosa 3, Joson 2, Abatayo 2, Rangel 2

Quarter scores: 22-15, 48-41, 76-68, 90-83

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