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THE FAR Eastern University Tamaraws swept aside any notions of their vulnerability as they demolished the National University Bulldogs, 82-57, in the 72nd season of the UAAP basketball tournament yesterday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Tamaraws, who have been picked most experts to be the one to challenge defending champions Ateneo de Manila University for the title this season, showed some chinks in the armor in their last game when they narrowly beat Adamson, 63-60.
However, FEU quickly got its act together in yesterday's match and vented its ire on the Bulldogs, who never got into the game from opening tip until the final buzzer.
The victory put FEU in solo second place with a 3-1 (win-loss) record, half-a-game behind the Blue Eagles' perfect 3-0 mark.
Skipper JR Cawaling got the party started early as he burned the nets for 12 points in the first period to help FEU lead, 22-12. Spitfire guard Mark Barroca, a star of the RP Smart Gilas developmental squad, continued the scoring spree in the ensuing canto as he notched 10 markers there for a 42-25 halftime lead.
The story of the game, though, was the rookie revelation, Ryan Roose Garcia, as the Zamboanga City-native continued his strong early-season push for Rookie of the Year honors.
The 5-foot-9 guard showcased his all-around skills by scoring 20 points on top of grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists in 31 minutes of stellar play. He was eight-of-14 from the field including three three-point shots.
Cawaling also broke out of his shooting slump and finished 6-of-7 from the field to end up with 14 points. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio
