UAAP: UE fights back from 14 points down to keep FEU winless

MANILA, Philippines — University of the East fought its way back from a 14-point deficit in the second half before overwhelming Far Eastern University, 65-58, in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Red Warriors erased a 50-36 deficit late in the third quarter as Gjerard Wilson ignited a 22-0 run capped by Noy Remogat’s three free throws for a 58-50 lead with 3:11 remaining.

Patrick Sleat stopped the Tamaraws’ bleeding with a floater, 58-52, before Precious Momowei scored four straight points including a clutch fadeaway jumper for a 62-55 spread in the final minute.

Jorick Bautista hit another triple for FEU to cut it down to four, 62-58, but Wilson fed the ball to JM Tulabut off a pick n’ roll that led to a three-point play, 65-58, to seal the win with 29.4 seconds remaining.

Wilson provided the spark off the bench with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting and had three rebounds, two assists, and a steal, crediting his best UAAP game so far to his teammates.

“It wasn’t just me. It was the whole team. We didn’t give up. We practiced really hard every day. Coach Jack [Santiago] and the whole staff, we worked hard every day, so we’re built for times like this,” said Wilson. “We stayed as a unit, and like coach Jack said, we stuck to the system. The system worked and that’s how we got it done today.”

Momowei powered the Red Warriors with 15 points, 17 rebounds, and three steals, while Remogat had eight points on 2-of-10 shooting and tallied four rebounds and four assists.

UE rose to a 2-1 record bouncing back from a blowout loss to University of the Philippines last Wednesday to force a triple tie with National University, Adamson, and La Salle.

“Last game, we came out flat in the first quarter, but right now, we were just down four points in the first quarter, then we held down FEU especially in the fourth. We scored [25] points to 8 points of FEU,” said UE coach Jack Santiago. “I’ll give this game to our second group, because I think the second group did their job. We scored 30 points in bench scoring, so that’s it. I think that’s the story of the game.”

The Red Warriors battle the Ateneo Blue Eagles (1-2) on Wednesday, 1 p.m., at Mall of Asia Arena.

LJ Gonzales led the Tamaraws with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals. Mo Faty had 12 points and seven rebounds, while Bautista added 11 markers.

FEU remained winless in three games under new coach Denok Miranda ahead of its duel against the unbeaten UP on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Gjerard Wilson and coach Jack Santiago after UE completed a come-from-behid win over FEU. #UAAPSeason86

Posted by Inquirer Sports on Saturday, October 7, 2023

The scores:

UE (65) – Wilson 15, Momowei 15, Remogat 8, Tulabut 7, Sawat 6, Cruz-Dumont 6, Lingolingo 5, Galang 3, Fikes 0, Alcantara 0, Langit 0.

FEU (58) – Gonzales 16, Faty 12, Bautista 11, Añonuevo 6, Torres 5, Tempra 4, Alforque 2, Sleat 2, Bagunu 0, Ona 0, Competente 0, Montemayor 0, Felipe 0.

Quarterscores: 16-20, 29-39, 40-50, 65-58