Sans Garcia, FEU hopes to arrest skid vs hot UE

By Josiah Albelda Posted Aug 25th 2013

Test after test after test.

With its invincibility dashed by back-to-back losses, Far Eastern University attempts to get back on track in the 76th UAAP men's basketball tournament on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Tamaraws take on red-hot University of the East in the main game at 4 p.m., with FEU the underdogs as they will be playing without suspended star guard and former MVP RR Garcia.

Garcia, who averages 13.9 points per game, was slapped a one-game suspension by the UAAP for incurring two unsportsmanlike fouls, the last of which was during the Tamaraws' loss to De La Salle University last Sunday.

And if FEU is bent on arresting its alarming skid, then top MVP contender Terrence Romeo should start making baskets.

Romeo, who normed more than 20 points in the first round, has been limited to just a total of 20 points in his last two games, making only 7 of 35 shots.

But if there's any consolation for the Tamaraws is that their losses have been close and a few breaks of the game could have made them 9-0.

On the other hand, the Red Warriors have been firing on all cylinders after a slow start and will look to get FEU as their fifth straight victim.

Roi Sumang almost singlehandedly powered UE to a comeback win over University of Santo Tomas, when the Warriors clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the final period to eke out a win.

Without Garcia to put the clamps on him, Sumang would definitely give coach Nash Racela headaches even as Charles Mammie gets the chance to finally impose his might against Anthony Hargrove.

The game will air live on Studio 23, BALLS HD 167 and uaapsports.tv with a same day replay tonight at 10 p.m. on BALLS SkyCable channel 34/ Destiny channel 36.