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BASTA PINOY! SPORTS REVIEW

LA SALLE BOOKS FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN

MANILA, July 30  -- La Salle streaked to its fifth
straight win in the UAAP Varsity basketball eliminations but instead of looking like someone who accomplished something, Franz Pumaren looked and sounded very much like the opposite.

Pumaren's three-peat-seeking La Salle side almost stumbled and fell against lowly National University, and the outspoken coach, for the first time this year, is starting to question the very desire of the Archers.

"We gave up a lot of layups, we played bad and we are starting to become like the old La Salle team which didn't win championships," said a dejected Pumaren after barely scrapping past the Bulldogs, 75-68, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Pumaren's statement is not without basis, for the last two La Salle victories come by a winning margin of seven points when they should have been a lot, lot bigger, considering that they came at the expense of State and the Bulldogs.

"We seem to be having problems playing our best whenever we play underrated teams," added Pumaren. "The old La Salle teams that never won championships were teams that tried to outscore the
opposition, and that is not my philosophy. We have the tendency to relax and that is not a good sign."

Another fancied side that struggled was Santo Tomas, which walked the tightrope before warding off the Maroons, 49-45, to stay in solo second place behind the pace-setting Archers.

The Tigers found life hard as the Maroons fought them on even terms and even had a chance to win the match before steady shooting from the stripe bailed Santo Tomas out to improve its mark to 4-1
and deal State a fourth lose in five games.

Santo Tomas hit eight of its last 10 attempts from the line with Cyrus Baguio and Alwyn Espiritu hitting three each.

But the outcome was never settled until the final second when starting State guard Edrick Ferrer tossed an airball in the potential game-tying play and Marvin Ortiguerra hit two free throws to seal the win on the other hand.

The Maroons had a chance to send the game into extra time after Baguio split his charities in the final 12 seconds and Brazilian national Robson Bornancin grabbed the rebound off the miss.

In running the break, it looked like Bornancin was ready to take the attempt himself, but instead passed it out to a surprised Ferrer, who threw up an 18-foot jumper from left quartercourt that hit nothing but the backboard.

It was the fourth straight win since an opening day loss to Far Eastern for Santo Tomas, fancied as one of the very few sides given a chance against the Archers this year. (SNS)

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