It’s the statistics in UAAP Finals that matters

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Far Eastern University (FEU) team manager Richie Ticzon said the two losses of Tamaraws suffered against the University of Santo Tomas are a thing of the past and team is treating its best-of-three title series as a new ballgame against the Tigers.

‘Definitely, they (Tigers) have the advantage. They beat us twice in the eliminations. Hopefully, we can turn things around (in the finals),” said Ticzon, who represented FEU coach Nash Racela in Tuesday’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

The game one of the first championship series between those schools starts on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Tigers and Tamaraws had their championship game for the last 36 years. Both finished the eliminations with identical 11-3 (win-loss) records, but the España-based school clinched the no.1 seed for beating its counterpart from Morayta, not just once, but twice during the preliminaries.

Former PBA player, Ticzon, said the Tamaraws are hardly concern about being swept by the Tigers this season. All they want is to compete and hopefully, win the championship that eluded them last year when they lost to the National University Bulldogs in a thrilling do-or-die encounter.

“There’s not a score to settle. We just lost twice in the eliminations (to them). We just wanted to make it back to the finals, hope to perform better, and win the championship,” stressed the FEU official in the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

The Tamaraws entered the finals for the fourth time in the last six seasons, while the Tigers made it back to the championship for the third time in the last four years.

The Tamaraws won their last UAAP basketball title in 2005, while the Tigers succeeded them in 2006 and reigned Kings of the country’s premier collegiate league for the last time.

FEU is the winningest men’s basketball team in history with 19 titles, followed by UST with 18 in a tie with University of the East.

Ticzon acknowledged the mature team of UST Tigers this season especially with the presence of Karim Abdul, Kevin Ferrer, Ed Daquioag, and Louie Vigil.

At the same time, he believes the Tamaraws is a championship material this year than with the team which lost to NU in last season’s finals.

“Anim ang graduating namin this year kaya ang feeling namin at this point, we have a deeper bench this season, “ said the former Ateneo stalwart.

Tamaraws, Ticzon added, may have the edge in the backcourt and the wings, especially with Mike Tolomia, Roger Pogoy, and Mike Belo leading the charge, but the presence of the intimidating Abdul and the talented Ferrer gives the Tigers the advantage in the front court.

“I believe this is going to be a good match,” said Ticzon, who however, refused to say whether the series will go the distance or not.

Game Two is set on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, while Game Three, if necessary, will be played Wednesday of next week also at the MOA.