NU Bulldogs rebound against AdU Falcons, stop 2-game skid

After back-to-back losses against FEU, the stumbling National University Bulldogs needed to rebound up the standings against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons. They did, and they did so commandingly, hauling in 65 caroms against a mismatched Falcons frontline, en route to a 71-50 blowout win. NU more than doubled up Adamson on the boards; Their 65 rebounds to the Falcons’ 32 represents the greatest disparity since 2003. Gelo Alolino led a balanced NU attack with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. As usual, the Soaring Falcons were top-billed by veterans Celedonio Trollano and Jansen Rios, who dropped a combined 25 points, albeit on 22% shooting. The Bulldogs arrest their 2-game slide with the victory, keeping them in the playoff picture with a 6-3 slate. In the meanwhile, the winless 0-9 Falcons continue their disappointing Season 77 campaign.

As is the norm with their recent matches, the Adamson Falcons came out strong in the first quarter. Head Coach Vince Hizon’s small-ball starting line-up confounded NU’s top-ranked defence with quickness and shooting range, handing the Falcons an early 14-10 lead. As is also the norm with their recent matches, the Falcons then collapsed entirely, as the Bulldogs clamped down and throttled Adamson with a 22-0 run stretching between the first and second period. In a harrowing imitation of their first round matchup, NU’s league-leading defence dismantled Adamson’s cellar-dwelling offense in the second quarter, limiting the ice-cold Falcons to a paltry 2 points off a solitary Jansen Rios layup. The Bulldogs feasted in transition in the quarter as well, with their cadre of hard-running big men, led by the versatile Glenn Khobuntin, accounting for 14 points at the half.

The Bulldogs continued their dominance in the third, as 4 NU players scored 3 or more points in a 17 point period. Celedonio Trollano kept the flagging Falcons hopes alive with 7 points of his own, but NU would still pull further away from Adamson. The merciless Bulldogs’ 31 point advantage, 59-28, at the end of the third canto would be the largest difference in the game.

Adamson pushed back against the inevitable in the fourth and final quarter, shackling the NU offense to 12 markers while pouring in 22 points of their own. Still, the 10-point swing would not be close to enough, as the NU substitutes rode out their double-digit lead to a comfortable 71-50 win.