Adamson trips UP, earns playoff for semis berth
Adamson University coach Leo Austria said that every win in the second round is important in the Soaring Falcons’ bid of clinching the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four, especially with Far Eastern U hot on their trail.
Adamson and FEU are on a tight race for the No. 2 spot with the Falcons holding a slight edge after scoring a 64-51 win against the University of the Philippines in the 74th UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.
“This win is very important for us so that we can avoid any complications in the future with FEU,” said Austria after his Falcons earned at least a playoff for a Final Four berth.
The Falcons won their eighth game in 11 outings as they bounced back from their 62-61 loss to FEU last week.
Adamson’s win, however, didn’t come easy as UP even grabbed the lead in the third quarter but the Falcons showed their true form that got them to second place in the standings behind undefeated Ateneo (10-0).
”Hindi pa kami steady, kitang kita we were having a hard time in the first half. We committed a lot of turnovers especially in the first half as we had 14,” said Austria.
Janus Lozada finished with 16 points and nine rebounds while Austin Manyara added 13 and 12 for the Falcons. Both Lozada and Manyara combined for 17 markers in the second half before the latter injured his knee after colliding with teammate Alex Nuyles.
Miggy Maniego pushed the Fighting Maroons on top, 30-29, but that was the last time UP tasted the lead. Jet Manuel’s back-to-back three-pointers pushed the Maroons within six points, 51-45, in the fourth but the Falcons pulled away down the stretch.
Manuel had 11 points while Paolo Romero added 10 markers for the Fighting Maroons, who are officially eliminated from the Final Four picture with a 2-9 win-loss card.
Mike Silungan had eight points but missed all of nine attempts from beyond the arc.
Adamson dominated the boards with a 52-32 edge over UP. - Reuben Terrado/JVP, GMA News
