Adamson University extended its UAAP Season 87 campaign by defeating Ateneo de Manila University, 69-55, in their elimination round finale on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Soaring Falcons finished the eliminations with a 6-8 record, tying them with the UE Red Warriors and setting up a playoff for the last semifinal berth on Wednesday at 5:30 PM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The winner will face the top-seeded De La Salle Green Archers in the Final Four.
Adamson surged late in the season, winning three of its last four games. On the other hand, UE has faltered, dropping its last five matches of the second round.
This scenario is familiar territory for the Falcons, who also fought for the No. 4 spot in the past two seasons. They triumphed over La Salle in Season 85 but lost to Ateneo in Season 86.
“We’re willing to do that every year if that’s our shot to make it to the Final Four,” said Adamson head coach Nash Racela, emphasizing their resolve to take the longer route if necessary.
“Our defense was the key. Sabi nga namin, it’s our ticket to being competitive as a team, which we missed the last time we played UST. Today, we went back to our old ways,” Racela added.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Ateneo attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, with Andrew Bongo drilling a three-pointer at the 6:40 mark to cut the deficit to nine, 58-49.
However, Adamson quickly responded with back-to-back triples from Joshua Yerro and Manu Anabo, extending their lead to 15, 64-49, with under five minutes to play.
Royce Mantua led the Falcons with a near-perfect performance. He scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting while recording a +17 efficiency in just 17 minutes and 35 seconds on the floor.
“We all knew this was our final chance to compete in the Final Four, so we had to play our A-game,” said Mantua, a transferee from UST. “My shots were falling, but I’m especially happy that we all played our roles well, particularly on defense.”
Anabo, who averaged just 3.15 points across the first 13 games, stepped up with a season-high 13 points, hitting three triples. Matt Erolon also contributed 11 points, including three three-pointers, while adding four assists and three rebounds.
Adamson’s bench provided crucial support as key players struggled. AJ Fransman scored just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Mathew Montebon went scoreless, missing all three of his attempts.
Meanwhile, senior Jhon Calisay’s game ended prematurely after he was ejected with 31.3 seconds left in the second quarter.
Calisay received two technical fouls – one for taunting after a celebratory gesture and another for delaying the game.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
For Ateneo, the loss marked a disappointing end to their campaign, finishing at the bottom of the standings with a 4-10 record.
Jared Bahay led the Blue Eagles with 14 points on 14 attempts, while Ian Espinosa and graduating guard Chris Koon each added 10 points.
Koon, along with fellow senior Sean Quitevis, played his final game in Ateneo colors.
The Scores:
AdU 69 – Mantua 14, Anabo 13, Erolon 11, Fransman 8, Calisay 6, Manzano 6, Yerro 5, Ramos 4, Ojarikre 2, Montebon 0, Barasi 0, Ronzone 0, Dignadice 0, Barcelona 0, Alexander 0, Ignacio 0.
Ateneo 55 – Bahay 14, Espinosa 10, Koon 10, Porter 7, Bongo 4, Tuano 4, Lazaro 3, Quitevis 2, Ong 1, Gamber 0, Espina 0, Asoro 0, Edu 0, Reyes 0.
Quarterscores: 16-15, 37-33, 51-46, 69-55.
