THE UNIVERSITY of the East (UE) Red Warriors escaped the upset axe of the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 62-57, in the 76th UAAP men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Red Warriors played sloppily all game long and were threatened by the resilient Maroons until careless turnovers by the latter coupled with some clutch freethrows by UE star Roi Sumang decided the game in their favor.
Sumang, who struggled mightily from both the field and the charity stripe, calmly made four freethrows that pushed UE to its fourth win in seven games.
Charles Mammie led UE with 17 points and 22 rebounds while Sumang added 10 on top of nine boards and five assists.
In the second game, the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles defeated the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, 61-57. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio