Tams eye third straight win

The Tamaraws, one of the title favorites this season, opened their campaign with two close wins, beating defending two-time champion Ateneo and National University in succession to wrest the solo lead after the league's second week.

Photos by: Ian Ovasco

RR Garcia has been the star in FEU's twin victories, firing 25 points in a 72-69 win over Ateneo then hit 18 points, including the go-ahead triple that eventually gave the Tamaraws a 76-72 victory over the dangerous Bulldogs.

Those feats enabled the former RP U-18 team standout to secure the first UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week.

Although Garcia and the rest of the Morayta-based squad are on top, they should still be wary of the Red Warriors in their 4 p.m. encounter.

UST and University of the Philippines collide in the curtain raiser at 2 p.m.

"Hindi pa kami kailangan mag-relax dahil nung preseason tinalo kami ng UE so siguro konting adjustments na lang gagawin namin," said coach Glenn Capacio, whose squad blew a 20-point lead in a loss to UE in the Filoil preseason tournament last April.

UE lost its first two games by an average margin of 16 points. On July 10, the Recto-based dribblers lost 70-57 to University of Santo Tomas then were handed an 82-63 drubbing by La Salle last Sunday.

Paul Lee scored 25 points in their defeat to the Green Archers but has obviously been playing hurt after suffering a hairline fracture in his right foot prior to the start of the season.

Games Thursday (Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. — UP vs UST
4 p.m. — FEU vs UE