Quick Fire: Paul Desiderio saves the day for UP Fighting Maroons versus the FEU Tamaraws

(Photo Credit: Marie Dobuyan, Tiebreaker Times)

UP Fighting Maroons def. FEU Tamaraws 59-56

Notable Players:

Paul Desiderio, UP (15 points, 5 rebounds): Paul is reminding us that "shooters shoot". Keep shooting, Paul.

Ibrahim Ouattara, UP (10 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks): Ouattara was huge for the Fighting Maroons, thoroughly outplaying Prince Orizu in this match-up of theirs.

Jasper Parker, FEU (13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists): If not for Desiderio's game winner, we'd be talking about Jasper Parker and how he's starting to get a hang of the UAAP game. Not bad, rook.

Arvin Tolentino, FEU (12 points, 6 rebounds): When Arvin gets going, we out of here. Now if only Arvin could replicate that third quarter more consistently....

Quick Analysis:

- Man what a defensive slug fest! Both teams played some terrific defense on each other, and the percentages weren't pretty at all (30 percent FG% for both). At the end of the day, all it took was one shot from Paul Desiderio to seal the game for the Fighting Maroons.

- FEU is a talented team, and it showed during that third quarter. But here's the problem: Talent isn't enough in basketball. You need the right attitude and mindset in order to win basketball games. Their lapses on both ends of the floor ended up killing them.

- This was a big win for UP. It wasn't pretty, but in a Final Four race that's this tight, you'll take any win you can get. Desiderio still continues to chuck up shots at a ridiculous rate (23 shot attempts), but he made the big shot for the win so we'll give him a slight pass.

- UP's remaining games: Ateneo, Adamson, NU

FEU's remaining games: UE, NU, Adamson

NU's remaining games: Adamson, UP, FEU

Buckle up. We have ourselves a race for the final slot in the Final Four. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

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