UAAP Season 75 Opening Day Games 2012: NU Bulldogs destroy UE Red Warriors, FEU Tamaraws edge UST Growling Tigers

The 2012 UAAP basketball season begins in the MOA Arena

Former President Fidel Ramos
performed the ceremonial ball toss

The air was charged and electric as the UAAP Men's Basketball games opened today to a capacity crowd in the recently opened MOA Arena in Pasay City.

In the second game, former league MVP RR Garcia made a fast break layup with seven seconds to go to give the FEU Tamaraws a 73-72 win over the UST Tigers.

The Tamaraws were down by ten points early in the fourth quarter when Terrence Romeo and Garcia combined for a 13-2 FEU run to grab the lead by one, with seven minutes remaining. After several lead changes, UST had the ball and led by a point with 31 seconds remaining, but UST point guard Jeric Fortuna turned the ball over after trimming the clock down to 14 seconds, which led to Garcia's game-winner.

UST and FEU go up for the
toss in the first quarter

UST center Karim Abdul was dominant in the first half, but was a non-factor after showing up with a bandage on his right hand in the second half. He finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds. In another great shooting game, Tiger Jeric Teng had 18 points with four triples.

Tamaraw RR Garcia scattered 21 points and 7 assists in the game, scoring the first six points for FEU, and had a hand in his team's last four points via an alley-oop to new starting center Anthony Hargrove, Jr. and his game winner. FEU guard Terrence Romeo, who had an awful shooting night, scored nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, scoring seven straight points in their crucial run.

The UE Red Warriors looking pensive,
probably sensing the storm ahead.

In the opening game, the NU Bulldogs outscored the UE Red Warriors in the second quarter, 35-8 to run away with a 90-55 win.


UE led in the first quarter, 15-13, with Red Warrior Roi Sumang leading the charge, but was closed down in the second quarter by league MVP Bobby Ray Parks, Jr., who, at 6'4", has an eight-inch height advantage over the 5'8" Sumang.


NU's new starting center Henri Atanga-Betayene had around four blocks in the second quarter alone, finishing with probably seven or eight blocks in the game, while third-year small forward Jeoffrey Javillonar had around four three pointers in the game to finish with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

What's a UAAP basketball game
without flying cheerleaders?

Notes:

• Some stats mentioned here have been written in uncertain terms because the pen I brought with me to the game failed to write, and I can't find any box scores yet.
• It was my first time in the MOA Arena, and it looks impressive. I'd really like to see how it looks and feels like to be in the VIP Premium area.
• Even though the school cheering bands are up in the bleachers, they still generate too much noise for people to enjoy the games. I really think they should lessen the number of instruments they have. You can barely hear the public announcement system.
• National University supporters had these cute '15,093 - our home' shirts, indicating the seating capacity for basketball games in the MOA Arena, which is owned by SM tycoon Henry Sy, who also  owns the NU Bulldogs, the host of the 75th UAAP Games.