The ADU Soaring Falcons came within a point of toppling the UST Growling Tigers over the weekend. This game was not nearly as close. The NU Bulldogs handed the miserable Falcons a historic beat-down, 62-25. Adamson’s 25 points and 16% FG shooting set new records for offensive futility in the tournament. The lopsided result sees the 4-1 Bulldogs cruise to the top of the standings, while the flightless Falcons remain pinned to the bottom at 0-4, with little hope in sight. Rodolfo Alejandro led the Bulldogs with 13 points in only 21 minutes of action, as Bulldogs Coach Eric Altamirano went early and often to his benchwarmers. Reserve Falcon Celedonio Trollano finished with 7 points on 2/10 shooting, which actually buoyed his team’s ridiculously bad FG percentage.
The opening salvo would feature the Bulldogs’ starters sinking only a subpar 33% of their shots, but it was more than enough to outpace the absolutely frigid 7% (1/14) “shooting” of the Soaring Falcons. This grotesque disparity carried NU to a sizable 19-3 advantage after the first, which they would effortlessly protect for the remainder of the game.
The impotent Falcons would somewhat improve following their stinker of a first period, posting 8 and 6 points in the second and third quarters, respectively. This marginal upgrade was the direct result of the team doubling their accuracy to a still-awful 14%. Meanwhile, the NU Bulldogs, now featuring mostly bench players, chugged along to the tune of 21 and 16 points in the same two quarters. Adamson would find themselves in 17-56 hole entering the fourth quarter. Put in perspective, either of NU’s first two quarters alone would better the Falcons’ production up to that point.
By the fourth quarter, both coaches recognized that the match was effectively over, and scoured their benches for players who had barely seen the court this entire season. The result was a scrappier affair, with the feisty Falcon benchwarmers, led by Alexis Barrera, actually topping the Bulldogs 8-6 in the period. If there is to be any positive for ADU Head Coach Kenneth Duremdes, it would be the heart displayed by his substitutes in those waning minutes.
Despite the thrashing, the Adamson fans remained lively throughout the match, cheering the rare points of their over-matched team, and at the end of the game they still delivered a heartfelt ovation for their defeated team.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FT | |
| ADU | 3 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 25 |
| NU | 19 | 21 | 16 | 6 | 62 |
