For the first time in the UAAP Season 81 Men’s Basketball Tournament, the Adamson University Soaring Falcons tasted defeat from the defiant University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.
State U center Bright Akhuetie, who was limited to just six points in the contest, scored a game winner off a timeout to seal the victory and force a rubber match for the Fighting Maroons on November 28, 2018 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
“If you look at, overall, the game, we played bad. We were just playing spurts. But when we started what we were supposed to be doing, we were down by ten, eleven points, in a span of two to three minutes, we were able to get the momentum,” lamented Adamson coach Franz Pumaren.
“We made some mental mistakes.”
Pumaren’s wards trailed by as much as 13 points in the game and looked second best in the third quarter. Jerrick Ahanmisi was also not at his usual best because he was still recovering from illness.
“That’s why during the whole season, we worked hard for (the twice-to-beat advantage).
“You know, we lost this game, but if you look at the other side of the coin, there’s still one more game,” stated the five-time UAAP champion coach.
Perhaps the one glaring statistic that sums Adamson in this loss was their dismal three-point shooting. Ahanmisi sank the Soaring Falcons’ sole three-pointer in the game, as he and the rest of his team only mustered 1-of-22 from downtown.
“I guess we should have gotten this victory in spite of us playing bad,” said the De La Salle University alumnus. “You know that’s a very good sign. We played bad.
“We were down the whole game but when we started playing the right system, the right brand of game, we were able to get back the lead. But we shot bad.”
At the end of the day, Pumaren is simply moving forward from the result. Yes, it was a setback, but one that isn’t deadly. And ultimately, he and everyone from the Adamson community can still have the last laugh.
“Both teams are gunning for history, us making the finals, same thing with UP. It’s gonna be a fun game. It’s gonna be a classic game,” shared Pumaren.
“I think the (broadcasting) network will rake in a lot of sponsors. I just like to remind the scalpers (that) I have a known measure, the Anti-Scalping (ordinance), that they cannot do that in Araneta.”
