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

MANILA, Philippines – The 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 when Gjerard Wilson sparked a 22-0 run, capped by Noy Remogat’s three free throws, for a 58-50 lead with 3:11 left.

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 the lead to four, 62-58, but Wilson fed the ball to JM Tulabut on a pick n’ roll that led to a three-point play, 65-58, sealing the victory . 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 teammates with his best UAAP game yet.

“It wasn’t just me. It was the whole team. We didn’t give up. We practiced very hard every day. Coach Jack (Santiago) and the entire staff, we worked hard every day, so we are built for times like these,” Wilson said. “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 paced the Red Warriors with 15 points, 17 rebounds and three steals, while Remogat had eight points on 2-of-10 shooting and recorded four rebounds and four assists.

Precious Momowei leads UE Red Warriors again in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament Season 86. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

UE moved to a 2-1 record after losing to the University of the Philippines last Wednesday, forcing a three-way tie with National University, Adamson and La Salle.

“The last game we came out flat in the first quarter, but at this point we were only four points behind in the first quarter, then we kept FEU under control, especially in the fourth. We scored (25) points against 8 points from FEU,” said UE coach Jack Santiago. “I’m giving this game to our second group because I think the second group did their job. We scored 30 points off the bench, so that was it. I think that’s the story of the game.”

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

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.

Under new coach Denok Miranda, FEU remained winless for three games in the run-up to the match against undefeated UP on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

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

Posted by Researcher 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.

Quarter scores: 16-20, 29-39, 40-50, 65-58