FEU secures Final Four spot after eliminating La Salle in UAAP S81

FILE: “It’s just fitting that we made the Final Four this way.” – Coach Olsen Racela (Photo: Jim De Ramos/Facebook)

The score ended at 71-70 with the former Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) forward capping off the 7-2 game-closing run for his team with the game-winner. At a total of 15 points, he was also the highest pointer on their team for the game, followed by Kevin Ebona, Ken Tuffin, and Rich Escoto who scored 12, 11, and 10 points respectively. Santi Santillan tried to tough it out for the Green Archers by producing 20 points, even attempting the undergoal shot to finish the game for his team on a positive note, but it did not lead to their victory in the end. 

FEU Head Coach Olsen Racela did not shy away from sharing that he “loves how [his] team battled through adversity,” telling the media, “It’s just fitting that we made the Final Four this way. They never gave up even after our four-game losing streak and they’re the ones that gave me confidence.” He elaborated on how they struggled with center Prince Orizu’s foul trouble, but Barkley Ebona was able to step up with 16 rebounds. In Coach Olsen’s words, “Even in this game, we battled through adversity. Prince was in foul trouble all game long and we were down four in the last minute. I love how these guys responded.”

Tolentino even had words to say about their victory and his mindset throughout the game. He shared, “This could have been our last game, and all I was thinking earlier was that I won’t waste all of my sacrifices. Some people might think we won because of me, because of my shot, but it’s as big as any basket we made this game,” stating, “I just want to give everything for FEU.”

The next time the Tamaraws will be playing is during the semifinals, as they go against top seed team ADMU, who has a twice-to-beat advantage, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.