Adamson University rebounded from its first loss with a 78-54 dismantling of University of the East in the UAAP Season 86 high school boys basketball tournament Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Vince Reyes had 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while Mark Esperanza contributed 17 points as the Baby Falcons unloaded a 30-point third quarter, while holding down the Junior Warriors to nine points in that period.
Bouncing back from last Sunday’s 64-67 defeat to University of Santo Tomas, Adamson improved to a league-best 8-1 record.
Coach Mike Fermin knows that the Falcons got their reality check with the setback they suffered to the Tiger Cubs to open the second round.
“A wake up call yun. Basta ang sa amin lang, being on top, there’s a prize for that. Target ka ng ibang teams. To be able to be consistent, hindi tayo magpabaya. Hindi yung okay lang. Dapat, may sense of urgency everytime we play,” said Fermin.
“Dapat meron kaming goal na gusto naming makuha. Of course, the ultimate goal is to win the championship. Pero, the immediate goal is entering the Final Four. The task at hand is winning every game,” he added.
Earlier, UST followed up its stunning win over Adamson and overcame a Kieffer Alas triple-double with a 78-66 victory over De La Salle-Zobel while National University Nazareth School edged out Ateneo, 62-61.
With a 7-2 record, the second-running Bullpups remained a game ahead of the Tiger Cubs, who rose to 6-3 in solo third.
Later, Far Eastern University-Diliman seized the fourth spot with a 5-4 card following an 87-61 rout of UP Integrated School.
Andrei Dungo scored 16 of his 26 points in the second half and logged 13 rebounds, six assists, and six steals to lead UST in extending its winning streak to three games.
“Sinasabi lang ng coach namin na gawin lang ang tamang depensa para yung opensa namin susunod para hindi kami mahirapan sa opensa namin,” said Dungo.
The Junior Archers were very much in the game in the first half, leading by as much as six points, before the Tiger Cubs flipped the switch in the second half.
“Napagalitan ko sila noong halftime kasi masyadong relax at hindi nage-execute ng tama. Yung mindset nila naka-focus sa offense nila, hindi kami dumedepensa ng tama. So naka-adjust naman kami ng third tapos noong dumikit na naman nagpalit kami ng tao kasi yung mindset, mga bata, iniisip nila maka-score kaagad,” said UST coach Manu Iñigo.
“So yung mga natira sa loob, yun ang gumawa ng tamang sistema. Sinunod nila ang sistema kaya nag-stick ako sa kanila,” he added.
Wacky Ludovice scored 14 points while JB Lim also had 14 points to go along with six boards, five steals, and four assists for the Tiger Cubs.
Nigerian big man Collins Akowe was at his usual best with 19 points and 22 rebounds, while Mac Alfanta also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards and dished out six assists for NUNS.
The Bullpups were able to escape with the win after the Blue Eagles failed to convert on their last play.
Stephen Cabigting led the Baby Tamaraws with 12 points, Veejay Pre and Omar Gordon each scored 11 points while Jedric Daa added 10 points, six assists, and five boards.
FEU-D rebounded from last Sunday’s 70-82 loss to NUNS.
“Ginawa namin lahat. Communication kami. Nag-usap usap kami,” said Cabs Cabonilas, who was the most efficient Baby Tamaraw on the floor with +25.
“Sinabi ko sa mga boys, maglaro lang sila ng tama at mas galingan nila,” said FEU-D coach Allan Albano.
Waki Espina had 17 points to lead the Junior Archers as Kieffer Alas struggled offensively with 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Alas though pulled down 16 boards and dished 11 assists for his second triple-double of the season.
The Blue Eagles and the Junior Warriors fell to 4-5.
De La Salle-Zobel fell to 2-7, while UPIS remained winless in nine games.
The Scores
First Game
NUNS (62) – Akowe 19, Alfanta 16, Usop 6, Cartel 5, Reroma 4, Tagotongan 3, Nepacena 3, Pillado 3, Palanca 2, Figueroa 1, Solomon 0.
Ateneo (61) – Porter 17, Urbina 11, Lagdamen 10, Madrangca 9, Asistio 4, De Guzman 3, Suico 3, Delos Santos 2, Espinas 2, Ong 0, Prado 0, Domangcas 0, Tupas 0.
Quarterscores: 12-20, 34-33, 51-47, 62-61
Second Game
UST (78) – Dungo 26, Lim 14, Ludovice 14, Manding 6, Buenaflor 4, Reyes 4, Kaw 3, Manding 3, Velasquez 2, Ferrer 2, Verzosa 0, Zanoria 0, Esteban 0, Vidanes 0, Bucsit 0, Loreto 0.
DLSZ (66) – Espina 17, Alas 12, Daja 10, Favis 8, Dabao 7, Dimaano 6, Cruz 4, Arboleda 2, Arejola 0, Domangcas 0, Pabellano 0, Atienza 0.
Quarterscores: 14-18, 34-32, 55-49, 78-66
Third Game
AdU (78) – Reyes 18, Esperanza 17, Medina 10, Carillo 8, Artango 8, Sajili 6, Umali 5, Perez 3, Tumaneng 3, Bonzalida 0, Abayon 0, De Jesus 0.
UE (54) – Alejandro 13, Lagat 12, Sarza 8, Sabroso 7, Almanza 6, Dahino 4, Datumalim 2, Pedrita 2, De Leon 0, Despi 0, Farochilen 0, Correa 0, Suria 0.
Quarterscores: 15-18, 32-34, 62-43, 78-54
Fourth Game
FEU-D (87) – Cabigting 12, Pre 11, Gordon 11, Daa 10, Pascual 9, Cabonilas 8, Herbito 6, Miller 5, Mecha 5, De Guzman 4, Burgos 4, Godoy 2, Castillejos 0, Gemao 0.
UPIS (61) – Melicor 22, Tubungbanua 12, Gomez de Liaño 11, Egea 9, Valdeavilla 4, Pascual 2, Coronel 1, Uvero 0.
Quarterscores: 18-11, 37-23, 60-47, 87-61
