DIFFERENT FEATHERS
Adamson, surviving almost solely on a diet of Matty Erolon jumpers, somehow pieced together a crucial scoring run that gave it control of the game in the final half of the fourth quarter against La Salle.
But when push came to shove, one of the league’s best defenses sealed the win with what will count in statistics as a stop, but seemed more like a sigh of relief.
The Falcons’ 61-60 victory over the slumping Archers on Wednesday provided a lifeline for Nash Racela and his wards, who are staring at a very tight window in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.
But it is still far better than staring at a door slammed shut.
“We’re just happy [we are still] alive. We made it clear in the dugout that if we want to live another day, we have no choice but to win,” Racela said, after the Falcons notched their sixth win in 13 games.
That window cracked a little wider when University of the Philippines escaped with a 79-75 win over Ateneo in the other game.
The defending champions tabbed the second twice-to-beat bonus for the Final Four, a goal they set for themselves heading into the so-called “Battle of Katipunan.”
“Securing a twice-to-beat advantage is huge for us, especially in the Final Four,” coach Goldwin Monteverde said, after steering State U to its sixth straight win, the longest active win streak in the UAAP. “We just have to keep being consistent with whatever we do.”
No. 2 in defense
More importantly for the Falcons, the Eagles took their seventh loss in 12 games and dropped half a game behind them in the race for the last two semifinal berths.
Adamson, which came into the match No. 2 in defense, allowing just 66.3 points per game, was again stingy as it held La Salle to a shade under 30 percent from the field—and hounding the Archers into missing 15 of their 24 attempts in the paint.
“It wasn’t a perfect game,” Racela said. “There were moments when we didn’t do our part. But towards the end, we made stops.”
The Falcons snapped a three-game losing streak to heighten the frenzy for the coveted fourth seed, a skirmish that also includes the Archers, who were well in the third spot before dropping their last three games, current No. 3 University of Santo Tomas, and Far Eastern U.
“This is a game that I know [La Salle wanted] to win. But in the end, it boiled down to whoever wanted it more,” Racela said.
Luis Pablo put La Salle ahead by a point nearing the halfway mark of the fourth, but Matthew Montebon caught fire and dragged the Falcons through a 9-2 run for a 61-55 lead.
The Archers struck back with five straight points, with Earl Abadam’s triple trimming the deficit to 61-60, 27 seconds left.
Adamson had possession, but La Salle’s defense bared its teeth, forcing the Falcons to a miss and a turnover.
14-6 run
In transition, La Salle squared for one more shot at victory, but Abadam’s three-pointer was off.
Erolon finished with 18 points and five assists to lead Adamson.
La Salle, now at an even 6-6 slate, was led by Vhoris Marasigan, who finished with 15 points and four rebounds.
UP, meanwhile, unloaded a 14-6 run capped off by a Gerry Abadiano layup to take a 74-66 lead with 1:23 remaining.
The Blue Eagles, who led by 16 early in the first half, unloaded an 8-2 blitz to cut the lead down to two, 76-74, after a Kymani Ladi triple with 21 ticks left.
But Abadiano and Reyland Torres put the game beyond Ateneo’s reach with free throws.
