By; Joaquin Cortez
Adamson University cruised past University of the East, 67-50, to notch its second straight win in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
After opening their campaign with losses to Season 88 finalists UST and NU, the Lady Falcons bounced back with consecutive victories to improve to 2-2. Meanwhile, the Lady Red Warriors remained winless at 0-3.
“Nakukuha na namin ‘yung flow ng offense namin, and we are seeing glimpses of how we want to play already, especially ‘nung last game namin,” Adamson second-year head coach Jed Colonia said.
“We just wanted to play with our identity, which is the running game and not too much of a half-court game. I think more of a call for consistency for the team kasi it wasn’t the smoothest game for us, kaya we have to do better.”
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Holding a slim 13-10 lead, Adamson closed the opening quarter with a 7-2 run, capped by Trix Burgos’ layup to extend its advantage to eight, 20-12.
The Lady Falcons maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second quarter before UE mounted a 10-2 run, punctuated by Sy Oñate’s triple to cut the deficit to five, 35-30. However, Elaine Etang and Kim Limbago responded with timely baskets to restore Adamson’s eight-point cushion at halftime, 38-30.
Adamson tightened its defense in the third quarter, limiting UE to just 11 points to carry a 12-point advantage into the final frame, 53-41.
The Lady Falcons put the game further out of reach in the fourth quarter, unleashing a 10-2 run capped by Etang’s fastbreak layup to stretch the lead to 16, 65-49, with just over two minutes remaining.
Nadine Muñoz then put the finishing touches on the victory, converting a layup off Limbago’s inbound pass to seal Adamson’s second consecutive win.
Adamson dominated the boards, outrebounding UE, 54-35. The Lady Falcons also made the most of their transition offense, scoring 16 fastbreak points compared to just two for the Lady Red Warriors.
“We just took good shots, even if we weren’t making them, kaya we got second-chance opportunities off of those. We were also making stops from the defensive end, kaya nakukuha namin ‘yung bola,” Colonia said. “‘Yun naman talaga ang bread and butter namin.”
Etang led the Lady Falcons with a game-high 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Muñoz contributed 12 points and three rebounds.
Nigerian big Kemi Adeshima bounced back from a subpar outing in Adamson’s previous game against UP with a double-double of 11 points and 16 rebounds.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
For UE, Rachel Lacayanga was the lone double-digit scorer with 12 points and five rebounds, while Moana Vacalares added nine points.
The Lady Falcons will look to extend their winning streak against De La Salle University on Sunday, October 18, at noon at the Blue Eagle Gym. Meanwhile, UE will aim to snap its winless run against National University on Wednesday, October 14, at noon at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
Adamson 67 – Etang 15, Muñoz 12, Adeshima 11, Burgos 8, Apag 6, Limbago 5, Meniano 5, Mazo 3, Medina 2, Bajo 0, Cortez 0, Villaester 0, Carcallas 0, Tano 0.
UE 50 – Lacayanga 12, Vacalares 9, Ronquillo 8, Oñate 6, Dublar 5, Guillim 4, Buscar 3, Lumibao 3, Cruz 0, Sajol 0, Dalguntas 0.
Quarterscores: 20-12, 38-30, 53-41, 67-50.
