Kirby Mongcopa delivered clutch plays on both ends as Far Eastern University outlasted Adamson University in overtime, 73-70, to keep its Final Four hopes alive in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

With the game hanging in the balance, Mongcopa came through when it mattered most. After Janrey Pasaol calmly sank two free throws to give FEU a 72-70 lead with 44 seconds left in the extra period, the first-year forward anchored the Tamaraws’ defense.

Looking to recreate his heroics from last Wednesday’s overtime win over UST, Mathew Montebon launched a potential go-ahead triple with 23 ticks remaining—but Mongcopa was there to swat it away, securing the rebound and preserving FEU’s lead.

He was fouled by Cedrick Manzano and split his free throws, making it a three-point game.

On the ensuing possession, Ray Allen Torres tried to force overtime again with a long bomb, but missed.

Mongcopa grabbed the rebound once more, was fouled with 5.8 seconds left, and despite missing both freebies, Montebon’s last-ditch three came up short—allowing FEU to finally breathe.

“I’m sorry we’re late because I kind of scolded the group because we played great basketball for three quarters and in the fourth we showed a little bit of immaturity,” said FEU head coach Sean Chambers, relieved yet unsatisfied with his team’s composure late in the game.

"For three quarters I thought we were phenomenal and then the fourth we just kind of went blank on that and had ill-advised turnovers down the stretch to put the game to overtime."

The win snapped the Tamaraws’ two-game skid, improving their record to 4-6—still at seventh place but now just a game and a half behind the fourth-running UST Growling Tigers (5-4).

FEU nearly let the game slip away in regulation after leading 64-59 with less than a minute left.

Torres buried a triple before Manzano converted a layup off a pick-and-roll with Montebon to tie the game at 64-all with 8.7 seconds left.

Neil Owens had a chance to win it for FEU but missed at the buzzer, forcing overtime.

Mongcopa finished with an all-around effort of 11 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, while Jorick Bautista led the Tamaraws in scoring with 12 points.

Rojan Montemayor chipped in 11, and Pasaol contributed 10 points, nine boards, and eight assists in the near triple-double outing.

“Sabi nga ni coach Sean sa locker room kanina, hindi na dapat aabot ng overtime kung nag-stay consistent lang kami at disiplinado pa. May game ulit kami next week, yung pagkukulang namin ngayon doon namin ie-execute,” said Pasaol, who went 3-of-16 from the field.

(“Coach Sean told us in the locker room earlier that the game shouldn’t have gone into overtime if we just stayed consistent and disciplined. We have another game next week, so we’ll make sure to fix what we lacked today.")

FEU’s victory also snapped Adamson’s four-game winning streak, sending the Soaring Falcons to 5-5 at solo fifth place.

Torres led Adamson with 24 points on four triples and four rebounds, while Manzano added 19 points, 12 boards, and four steals.

The Tamaraws look to sustain their momentum when they face UST next Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, while Adamson will try to bounce back on Saturday against National University at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Earlier, the foul-ridden National University hit the right buttons down the stretch to turn back streaking De La Salle University, 75-67, and tighten its grip on the top spot.

The Bulldogs improved their league-leading record to 8-2 while snapping the Green Archers’ four-game winning run, dropping them to solo third at 6-4.

Aside from opening a two-game cushion over La Salle, NU also gained some breathing room over defending champion University of the Philippines, which climbed to second at 6-3.

Jake Figueroa, NU’s main man, struggled offensively with just five points on 2-of-9 shooting but still contributed eight rebounds, six steals, and six assists.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, Steve Nash Enriquez rose to the occasion with 16 points, knocking down all four of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Omar John, one of the Green Archers’ biggest concerns heading into the game, also delivered with 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals.