DE LA SALLE was off with its shooting but survived Far Eastern University (FEU) anyway, 64-61, to remain spotless in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 70 men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The victory was the Green Archers’ third in as many games, gaining them a share of the top spot with idle University of the East (UE) Red Warriors. The Tamaraws slipped to 1-2.

Rico Maierhofer scored 11 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Green Archers, who won handily in their first two outings only to find the Tamaraws as tough customers.

“We started out flat,” said De La Salle coach Franz Pumaren. “I hate to say this, but my players seemed to be overconfident.”

“The upside of this win is we’re tested. It’s a good test for us, especially with my players running away from what were supposed to do,” he added. “They are playing for the crowd, and thinking every game is like a walk in the park just like our two previous wins.”

De La Salle shot a poor 30.9 percent from the field, way below the 44 percent they normed in beating University of the Philippines (UP) and Adamson.

The Tamaraws were in control until the final four minutes. There, the Green and White uncorked a 9-4 run, aided by its vaunted trapping defense, to erase a 53-56 deficit and grab the lead for good. A putback by Maiehofer off TY Tang’s miss gave them a 62-58 lead with 1:53 left.

Reserve sniper Peejay Barua also had 11 points, while James Mangahas and JV Casio contributed eight apiece for the Archers, who also snapped out of a four-game losing skein against the Tamaraws.

The Tamaraws swept the Archers in 2005, including twice in the finals. The last time they defeated FEU before yesterday’s game was in Game Three of the 2004 finals.

Marnel Baracael poured in 16 points to lead FEU. His triple with 10.4 seconds left put the Tamaraws to within a point, before Cholo Villanueva sank his two charities and Paul Sanga’s game-tying triple bounced out.

University of Santo Tomas (UST) rode the career performances of two of its players to bounce back after two successive losses at the expense of Adamson, 96-84.

Veteran wingman Francis Allera exploded with a career-high 26 points on a nine-of-14 shooting from the field, including six from beyond the arc, while sophomore slotman Jervy Cruz muscled his way to a mammoth double-double of 24 points and a personal-best 23 rebounds to lead the Growling Tigers.

The Falcons took their third loss in as many outings, tying idle University of the Philippines (UP) for the league’s worst record so far.

“Nasa adjustment period pa rin kami, and this is a good win dahil at least hindi kami masyadong lulubog [sa standings] habang nag-aadjust pa lang kami,” said Tigers coach Pido Jarencio.

“Medyo mabigat kasi ’yung nawala na mga players [Jojo Duncil and company] at nahihirapan kaming punuan ’yun. Lagi ko na lang sinasabi sa kanila na wala na tayong magagawa kailangan na ninyong mag-take charge. Masaya naman ako dahil unti-unti silang nagre-respond,” he added.

Japs Cuan had 11 points and Mark Canlas added 10 for UST, which won although it shot poorly from the field—38.6 percent to Adamson’s 43.1 percent—and from the foul line—64.7 percent to their foes’ 72 percent.

Adamson opened with an 18-6 blast and led for most of the first half until UST started making its move, rallying for a 47-45 lead at the turn behind Alleras 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the three-point zone.

The Espana dribblers then survived without making a field goal for almost six and a half minutes in the third period, before unleashing a searing 36-18 run bridging the last two quarters to turn a four-point deficit to a commanding 94-78 advantage going into the final two minutes.

Rhoel Hugnatan scored a season-high 32 points, also his personal-best, while Patrick Cabahug had 24 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 4:23 left for the Falcons. The two veterans combined for 28 of the teams 39 points in the second half, including 10 of only 12 field goals they made.

UST’s reserves scored 50 points to Adamsons 10. The Tigers also won the battle of the boards with 58 rebounds to the Falcons 46, which translated into the formers 19-2 advantage in second-chance points.

Archers survive test of Tams

DE LA SALLE was off with its shooting but survived Far Eastern University (FEU) anyway, 64-61, to remain spotless in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 70 men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Bambee ferocious in San Diego

Marie Dhel “Bambee” De la Paz continued to impress and eagled the par-five finishing hole to grab the solo lead in the girls’ 15-to-17-year-old category of the 2007 Callaway Golf Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, California.

THERE will be no second chance. This one is for all the marbles.

Apparently six games weren’t enough for Talk ’N Text and Alaska to resolve their championship duel. So the Phone Pals and the Aces will have to face-off one last time to break the ice.

FOOTBALL and baseball, for failing to meet the criteria, were dropped by the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Task Force from its list of recommended athletes or teams for the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in December.

The country’s one-two punch in the Philippine Open—Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion—could not hide their frustration when they bowed to the towering Taiwanese duo of Yu Chin-chien and Yu Hsin-hsieh, 21-16, 21-16, yesterday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

ALL is set for the third and final leg of the 2007 Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Triple Crown Championship Series this Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park.