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Coach Dindo Pumaren post game interview:

That’s how University of the East ended its elimination round campaign in the 70th UAAP men’s basketball tournament last September 13, 2007.

Despite La Salle’s resistance all-throughout the Araneta Coliseum, the Red Warriors completed a 14-game sweep on September 13 after beating the Green Archers, 92-84, in overtime and rightfully enter 70th UAAP Season Finals.

Lanky 6-foot-4 Hans Thiele, after a slow start, waxed very hot, scoring 16 points and grabbing 16 rebounds – nine in the offensive end – to make University of the East the first team to skip the Final Four since its new format was introduced in 1993.

Guard Paul Lee gave UE a 77-72 lead with 1:15 minutes left in regulation, but TY Tang and PJ Walsham answered with a basket each in the final minute to slice the deficit to a point, 76-77, with 18 seconds to go.

La Salle had the edge to spoil UE’s 14-game sweep campaign after one referee called a questionable foul on Elmer Espiritu, giving Joseph Casio a chance to tow his team to victory if he converts both game-winning free throws with only 3.2 seconds left.

But Casio muffed the first attempt before converting the second charity to tie the game at 77-all that forced the five-minute extension.

With both teams exchanging empty baskets in the first two minutes of overtime, James Martinez, like JV Casio - a former San Beda Red Cub, broke the silence as he drilled in a go-ahead triple with 3:16 minutes left in the exttra period for an 80-77 lead. La Salle couldn’t take the lead even if they were in striking distance.

UE finally controlled the game after Mark Fampulme hit two free throws, providing them a huge breathing space, 90-82, with only 45 ticks remaining.

Aside from Thiele, five other UE Red Warriors scored on double figures – guard James Martinez (13), Mark Borboran (11), Marcy Arellano, Narciso Llagas (10) and Kelvin Gregorio (10).

Still, Dindo Pumaren, the UE mentor, humbly said there was no superstar in his team despite the extraordinary sweep.

“We applied only team work and that’s the formula,� he said. “At last we swept it, but actually we are not talking about the sweep and it just happened.�

After a breathe taking battle in the first three quarters, La Salle’s combo guard Cholo Villanueva scored back-to-back baskets while Casio beat the buzzer to give them a 62-58 lead before the start of finals quarter.

The Green Archers outscored the Red Warriors in third quarter, 18-13.

But UE came up huge in the last quarter and overtime, outscoring the Green Archers in both separate stages of the ball game, 19-15 and 15-7, respectively, to carve its moment in UAAP history.

After surpassing the 9-0 start of the 1986 UE squad bannered by Jerry Codiñera, the Red Warriors also matched the 14-0 record accomplished 14 years ago by UST that automatically claimed the 1993 championship trophy.

That UST squad was composed of Dennis Espino, Bal David, Rey Evangelista, Edmund Reyes, Siot Tanquincen, Patrick Fran, Udoy Belmonte and Chris Cantonjos. UE’s last Finals appearance was in 1991, but lost to FEU.

“Although we sweep the entire elimination round, we haven’t achieved anything yet,� said Pumaren. “Our ultimate goal is to win the championship, so we will go for it whoever stands on our way.�
UE and La Salle finished the game tied at Total Field Goal Shooting at 31-out-of-78 (39.7%), but the free throw shooting of both teams made the difference.

The Red Warriors converted 25-out-of-41 while the Green Archers hit only 14-out-of-21.

UE also out-rebounded La Salle, 64-37.

The Green Archers registered more fouls than the Red Warriors, 35-22. Joseph Casio led La Salle with 22 points and Tyrone Tang had 16 points and eight assists.

Meanwhile, in the 1st quarter, another squabble happened at Ringside 109 after Rico Maierhofer committed an unsportsmanlike foul against Mark Borboran. When Mark Fampulme came to Borboran’s rescue, a pair of La Salle players came to confront Fampulme. Fampulme upon recognizing the threat, without even noticing, walked backwards towards the La Salle Bench and was punched from behind by Brian Ilad. The incident merited 2 technical fouls for both the UE and La Salle bench, a technical foul on Fampulme and Brian Ilad was ejected from the game.

Individual scores:

UE 92: Thiele 16, Martinez 13, Borboran 11, Arellano 11, Llagas 10, Gregorio 10, Fampulme 7, Lee 6, Espiritu 5, Linganay 3, Bandaying 0, Canizares 0.

La Salle 84: Casio 22, Tang 16, Malabes 12, Villanueva 9, Maierhofer 9, Walsham 6, Mangahas 6, Co 4, Atkins 0, Ilad 0, Cua 0.

Quarter scoring: 22-16, 45-44, 58-62, 77-77, 92-84

Tags: Dindo-Pumaren, Franz-Pumaren, Green-Archers, La-Salle, News, PCU, Red-Warriors, UAAP, UE

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