The Adamson University Soaring Falcons continue to fly high in UAAP Season 81 with an immaculate 5-0 record.
That wouldn’t have been possible if not for Sean Manganti — who emerged as the hero in the Soaring Falcons’ thrilling 69-68 win over the UP Fighting Maroons last Wednesday.
Adamson was on the verge of suffering its first loss, but the third-year forward crushed the hearts of the Diliman faithful by knocking down a tough floater off a broken play with 0.7 seconds left.
“It was just a scramble at that point. I was taught to never quit until you hear the buzzer, so I just kept going until we heard the buzzer,” he said about the game-winner, which was the cherry on top of his team-high 18 points.
Just three days later, Manganti showed up again for Adamson in their 63-58 triumph over the NU Bulldogs, spearheading the charge with 14 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
For being instrumental in the Soaring Falcons’ twin victories this week that preserved their unblemished slate, the Filipino-American high-flyer has earned the CHOOKS-TO-GO/UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week honors.
Prior to these back-to-back impressive performances, Manganti had a fluctuating start to the season. He struggled with just four points against the Ateneo Blue Eagles, delivered a career-high 27 points against the UE Red Warriors, then went scoreless against the UST Growling Tigers.
The Adamson skipper admitted that he needs to be more consistent going forward. “It’s up and down, up and down. It’s been very hard. It’s disappointing,” he said. “I just want to be consistent, help carry the team, and do everything to carry the team.”
Manganti bested UE’s Alvin Pasaol, UP’s Bright Akhuetie, and Ateneo’s Angelo Kouame for the weekly award.
