THE elimination round rankings have been shaken, as the race for the final two tickets to the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament has heated up following Wednesday’s intense action at MOA Arena.
The now-fifth-seeded Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons were able to rescue a much-needed victory over the third-seeded University of the East (UE) Red Warriors with a low scoring of 45-37.
Adamson soared, while the faltering Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles were defeated 75-47 by their Katipunan foes, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, in the ‘Battle of Katipunan’.
Adamson soaring high
The Soaring Falcons ended their five-game losing drought by putting on a defensive clinic against the Red Warriors, allowing their team to climb the ladder standings with a 4-7 win-loss record.
Despite an unfortunate losing run, Adamson head coach Nash Racela wants his team to remember to take things day by day, one game at a time, and pick up some wins along the way, such as this one.
Photo Courtesy: UAAP Media Group
“Of course, we’re thankful that we won. Akala ko ang ghost month October eh, muntik na kami ma-zero for the month of October so it’s good that we’re able to get the win towards the end of the month,” said Racela.
“This is something that we really need. If, I’d say our players were doing their part even with those losses that we had, that five straight losses that we had, pero sa’min namin just continue on doing the right things and eventually you’ll get that win,” he added.
AJ Fransman led the Soaring Falcons with a nearly double-double of 14 points and nine rebounds. Matt Erolon had 14 points, four assists, and two rebounds.
UE, on the other hand, remains third in the standings, being on win ahead of UST. However, the setback provided more opportunities for squads like FEU Tamaraws and Ateneo to catch up.
Blue Eagles down
The Blue Eagles suffered their worst loss in head coach Tab Baldwin’s tenure, being blasted out by the Fighting Maroons. Their hopes of making the Final Four were also severely hampered, as they dropped to seventh place.
UP, on the other hand, is maintaining its solo second-place position with a 9-1 record and the potential for a twice-to-beat advantage. They are now on a three-game winning streak, which puts them three wins ahead of UE.
Photo Courtesy: UAAP Media Group
The Fighting Maroons also extended their victory streak over Ateneo to four games, stretching back to the second round and semifinals of Season 86.
“For me, I would really learn a lot [from Tab Baldwin]. We know the program Tab has for Ateneo. We cannot approach the game relaxed, we really need to prepare for it,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
“During the course of the game, it’s not like things would fall into place, you should be able to react against his tactics.”
“We adapted to the changing defense of Ateneo. The team was able to adapt right away, we’re able to move the ball, and at the same time, we were able to get the ball inside, which is one of our strengths also,” he added.
Francis Lopez led them with an efficient 20 points (7-of-9 from the field), five rebounds, one steal, and one block, while Quentin Millora-Brown had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and a block.
A few more weeks
The men’s basketball action and the Final Four hunt will continue on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in España, the schedule that was postponed due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
The UE Red Warriors will strive to rebound against the fourth-place-seeking FEU Tamaraws at 12:00 NN, while the UP Fighting Maroons will face the NU Bulldogs and try to extend their winning streak at 6:30 PM.
