Adamson University showed remarkable poise in the endgame to edge out Ateneo de Manila University, 77-72, taking solo third place in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
This win was a perfect response for Adamson, now 3-1 in the standings, after a heartbreaking 55-58 defeat to defending champion University of Santo Tomas last Sunday.
The Lady Falcons bounced back with determination, proving that they are contenders as well.
“After that loss [against UST], I told them it’s going to be tougher every single game,” said second-year Lady Falcons head coach Ryan Monteclaro.
And neck-and-neck they were, battling Ateneo until the final buzzer.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Down by a point with just over a minute left, the Lady Falcons regained a slim 71-70 lead after Elaine Etang sank two crucial free throws following a foul from Ateneo’s Sandra Villacruz.
Ateneo immediately called a timeout, but it backfired as Kailah Oani had the ball stolen from her, leading to Kim Limbago hitting a three-pointer with 42.2 seconds remaining, extending Adamson’s lead.
Ateneo’s struggles continued as it lost the ball once more after a timeout.
Junize Calago fouled out after fouling Etang, who then sank another free throw to give Adamson a 75-70 cushion with 36.5 seconds left.
Although Ateneo’s Nigerian center Sarah Makanjuola managed to close the gap to 72-75, Kat Agojo sealed the win for Adamson by scoring two free throws after yet another foul from Villacruz.
“Sabi ko lang sa kanila, if we really wanted to be part of that elusive Final Four, we have to play the whole game. Last game, we played great basketball in the first 37 minutes. In the last three minutes, we played the old-school Adamson Lady Falcons ball,” said Monteclaro as this is Adamson’s first victory over Ateneo since October 9, 2019 — a 65-60 win back in Season 82.
Elaine Etang, a forward from Davao, led the team with 15 points and five rebounds, while Nigerian center Victoria Adeshina followed closely with 13 points and five rebounds.
Kazel Mae Mazo also had a breakout game, contributing 11 points, including a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
The Lady Falcons will aim to build on this momentum when they face the top-seeded National University this Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the same venue.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, Ateneo’s third-year point guard Junize Calago carried the Blue Eagles with an impressive 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Makanjuola supported with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Season 86 MVP Kacey Dela Rosa was limited to just 10 points on just three shot attempts but managed to grab 18 rebounds.
Ateneo, now 2-2 in the standings, will look to bounce back when they face Far Eastern University this Sunday at 1:30 p.m. still at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
AdU 77 – Etang 15, Adeshina 13, Mazo 11, Angela Alaba 7, Agojo 7, Limbago 5, Apag 5, Meniano 5, Padilla 3, Ornopia 3, Manlimos 3, Bajo 0, Cortez 0, Angeline Alaba 0.
Ateneo 72 – Calago 25, Makanjoula 21, Dela Rosa 10, Oani 7, Villacruz 7, Batongbakal 2, Eufemanio 0, Cancio 0, Angala 0, Olivenza 0, Aquirre 0.
Quarterscores: 16-24, 29-37, 58-55, 77-72
