Adamson University showcased its defensive tenacity in a wire-to-wire 67-39 triumph over Far Eastern University, forcing a three-way tie for fourth place in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
The Lady Falcons stifled the Lady Tamaraws, who came into the game as the fourth-best offensive team with an average of 73.33 points per contest and the league’s top three-point shooting squad at 30-percent. In the game, Adamson held them to just 15 points in the first half.
FEU finished with a paltry 14-of-69 (20.3-percent) overall shooting and 1-of-31 from beyond the arc.
Following up on a narrow 57-56 first-round victory last October 5, Adamson now shares fourth place with the Lady Tamaraws and the De La Salle University Lady Archers. All three hold identical 4-6 records with four games remaining in the elimination round.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“We just respected their shooting capabilities, no? Kung sa first round nakita niyo na nag-uunder kami sa ball screen, ngayon puro kami over and switch,” Adamson head coach Jed Colonia said.
“Malaking bagay ‘yon na from the get-go, rinespect namin yung capabilities nila as a three-point shooting team and ‘yon, hindi sila nakakuha ng kumpyansa gaano. Malaking tulong yung defensive effort talaga nila at doon kami nabubuhay,” the former Soaring Falcon added.
After setting the tone with a 13-5 first-quarter burst, the Lady Falcons limited FEU to a woeful 5-of-35 shooting in the first half. They built a commanding 33-15 halftime lead that the Lady Tamaraws struggled to recover from.
FEU briefly cut the deficit to 36-23 early in the third quarter, but Adamson responded with a 20-8 surge to create a 25-point advantage, 56-31, heading into the final period.
The Lady Falcons sealed the win with a Cheska Apag triple and two straight layups by Nigerian forward Kemi Adeshina, putting FEU down 67-36 with 3:42 remaining.
Apag led Adamson’s balanced attack with 15 points, including five triples, along with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Fellow Gilas Women 3×3 guard Elaine Etang added 12 points, four assists, and three rebounds.
Adeshina registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Brianna Bajo had a perfect 10-point outing on 4-of-4 shooting, adding four rebounds and three assists. Jam Meniano came close to a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds, alongside three assists.
Adamson now looks to continue its winning ways in an uphill matchup against the Final Four-bound National University on Saturday, November 8, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For the Lady Tamaraws, Amyah Espanol paced the team as their lone double-digit scorer with 11 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Shane Salvani contributed eight points and four rebounds.
Shem Abatayo — the team’s leading scorer at 14.22 points per game — was limited to two points on 1-of-16 shooting but added four rebounds, four steals, and two assists.
Yvette Villanueva struggled with just two points on 1-of-6 shooting, alongside eight rebounds and four assists.
FEU will look to snap its two-game skid against the still-unbeaten University of Santo Tomas next Sunday, November 9, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Scores:
AdU (67) – Apag 15, Etang 12, Adeshina 11, Bajo 10, Meniano 9, A. Alaba 4, Limbago 3, Munoz 2, Agojo 1, Padilla 0, E. Alaba 0, Manlimos 0, Mazo 0, Ornopia 0.
FEU (39) – Espanol 11, Salvani 8, Dela Torre 4, Patio 4, Lopez 3, Villanueva 2, Aabatayo 2, Manguiat 2, Pasilang 2, Garavan 1, Nagma 0.
Quarterscores: 13-5, 33-15, 56-31, 67-39.
