Falcons evade Archers to stay in UAAP semis race

Adamson’s Matty Erolon (18)

(UAAP Media Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — With their backs against the wall, the Adamson Soaring Falcons kept their UAAP Season 88 Final Four hopes alive after grinding out a 61-60 win over the La Salle Green Archers Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Just a loss away from elimination, the Falcons unleashed a late 9-2 run and held on to grab the crucial win.

The San Marcelino-based squad is now at 6-7, while La Salle dropped its second one-point loss in a row, and third straight defeat, to slip to 6-6.

Matty Erolon soared high for the Falcons with 18 points, five assists and one rebound. Ced Manzano chipped in 15 markers, nine boards and two dimes.

“We're just happy to be still alive. We made it clear in the dugout that if we want to live another day, then we have really no choice but to win the game… Sabi namin, in the end, it will just boil down to whoever wants it more,” Adamson head coach Nash Racela said.

“Again, it wasn't a perfect game. There were moments in the game that we weren't doing our part. We allowed them to get rebounds. We allowed them to be first on the ball. But towards the end, we made stops. We got the rebounds that we needed,” he added.

“Matty and Monty, even though they were smaller, they really battled it against those bigger players of La Salle. In the end, they said, we still have a chance. But we're happy, we're thankful to the Lord for allowing us to taste victory today despite that third quarter barrage.”

With the Archers leading by one, 53-52, after a Luis Pablo deuce, Adamson uncorked a 9-2 blitz capped by a Monty Montebon fallaway jumper to take a 61-55 edge with 1:48 remaining.

But a tough jumper by Jacob Cortez over three defenders, and a huge 3-pointer by Earl Abadam off the steal about seven seconds later sliced the deficit to just one, 60-61, with 28.5 seconds left.

Adamson, though, had a costly turnover on the other end, but Abadam’s triple attempt missed as time expired.

Montebon added 10 points for the winning squad.

Vhoris Marasigan paced La Salle with 15 points, four rebounds and an assist, while EJ Gollena chipped in 10 markers. Mike Phillips struggled with just seven points on a 1-of-12 clip from the field, but he had 15 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Both teams will be back in action this weekend, with La Salle taking on the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Saturday, while Adamson will take on Ateneo on Sunday.