There was a sense of relief around Adamson University head coach Franz Pumaren after Sean Manganti eked out a game-winner to keep the Soaring Falcons’ slate a perfect 4-0.
“Well everybody can say it was just a lucky win for us you know, good shot by Sean [Manganti],” shared the third-year Adamson tactician.
“But basically if you look at the whole game, we were trailing probably about seventy-five percent of the game. I think it all showed our poise, it also showed that we didn’t panic in spite of those runs by UP made,” he added.
But what followed was a criticism of how his team played in the game.
For the majority of the game, the league-leaders played lackadaisically. The Soaring Falcons, only the second team to beat the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the last two years, kept playing catch-up against the hungry University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.
“We drifted away from what we’re what were supposed to be doing. I think some of my players can attest to that. We were kinda selfish.”
After a decent opening frame, the Soaring Falcons were limited to just six points in the second stanza. Then in the third canto, the Fighting Maroons would lead by as much as 12 points.
The troika of Sean Manganti, Jerrick Ahanmisi, and Jun Espeleta rallied Adamson back in the final frame, capped by a game-winner by Manganti. As the dust settled, the Soaring Falcons were able to keep their slate unblemished.
“We were probably reading too much about social media that we’re so great already. That we’re 3-0. I’ve been telling them 3-0 is nothing, 4-0 is nothing,” said the five-time UAAP Men’s Basketball champion coach. “Probably if we win the championship we can start acting that way but the way we played today? We were thinking of highly of ourselves, the players.
“But of course this is the first time that i really yelled at my players since the start of Season 81. I think I aged six months into this game.”
Pumaren is hoping that his players can get it in their heads that being the top-ranked team does not entail championships.
“We survived. That’s the bottom line. We were able to survive this game.
“We were lucky to survive this game because of our selfishness we made it difficult on ourselves. We drifted away from what what we were supposed to be doing,” he closed.
