Adamson University cruised past the University of the East, 63-51, securing solo third place to close out the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Falcons continued their impressive Season 87 campaign, ending the first round with a 5-2 record. This surpassed their total wins from last season, where they managed only four victories across 14 games.
This also marks Adamson’s best start in 12 years, replicating their 5-2 run from Season 75 in 2012. That year, the Lady Falcons finished third after bowing out to La Salle in the stepladder semifinals on October 3, 2012.
“I’m very happy with how the first round went for us. It’s all about the effort of the players. Kami naman, we’ll just guide them,” said Lady Falcons head coach Ryan Monteclaro, who was part of the team as a player in 2012 when they last had such a strong first round showing.
Monteclaro praised his team’s commitment, saying, “It’s about how they execute, how they respond to all the things we’re trying to achieve. At the same time, I told them that with today’s win, they’re putting themselves in a position to succeed.”
Despite holding a commanding 41-21 lead at halftime, Adamson faced a challenge from UE in the third quarter. The Lady Warriors came out strong, opening the second half with a 16-6 run, fueled by Ivy Yanez’s eight-point surge, cutting the deficit to 47-37.
However, Adamson quickly regained control with a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 56-37 and putting the game out of reach to secure their fifth victory of the season.
All 16 Lady Falcons players saw action in the game, with 13 contributing to the scoring.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Kim Limbago led Adamson with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, adding three assists, two rebounds, and one steal, Kim Adeshina added seven points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, one steal, and one assist, while Angela Alaba chipped in seven points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Elaine Etang rounded out the strong performances with five points, six assists, four steals, and two rebounds.
“It’s about time for the players who are getting minutes to reciprocate it—to give back,” Monteclaro added. “You have to be a better teammate, play their game in the first half, and everyone will be happy. Moving forward, we want everyone to be ready.”
On the other side, UE, which had recently made headlines with a historic win over La Salle on September 22 that ended a 40-game losing streak, has now dropped three straight games, slipping to 1-6 alongside Far Eastern University.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Ivy Yanez, who had been averaging just 3.3 points through six games, led the Lady Warriors with 16 points on 46.7 percent shooting, along with six rebounds, three assists, and one block.
Katherine Ruiz and Aliyah Ronquillo contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Despite struggling offensively, Jearzy Ganade contributed for UE with 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and six points on 1-of-11 shooting.
Malienne center Kamba Kone was also held to five points but pulled down 11 rebounds while adding three steals and an assist.
La Salle, which holds a 1-5 record, was still playing against UP as of press time.
The Scores:
ADU (63) – Limbago 10, Alaba 7, Adeshina 7, Apag 6, Etang 5, Mazo 5, Bajo 5, Ornopia 4, Delos Santos 4, Agojo 3, Alaba 3, Manlimos 2, Meniano 2, Padilla 0, Trabado 0, Cortez 0.
UE (51) – Yanez 16, Ruiz 12, Ronquillo 10, Ganade 6, Kone 5, Cruz 2, Lumibao 0, Gomez 0, Vacalares 0, Buscar 0, Dalguntas 0.
Quarterscores: 23-6, 41-21, 53-37, 63-51
