SIMPLY put, no one anticipated this - probably not even Adamson.
And yet, this Soaring Falcons team, one that was written out as early as the preseason which even coach Nash Racela admitted to being lesser talented than their foes, just did the improbable.
Against all odds, Racela and his wards are one of the top four teams this UAAP Season 87.
Essaying a rally for the ages, Adamson proved just about everybody wrong and progressed to the Final Four, taking down hapless University of the East with a hard-nosed 68-55 victory in their fourth place playoff on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
For a moment, forget that No. 1-seed and defending champion La Salle, armed with a twice-to-beat advantage in a cutthroat semifinal, awaits on Saturday.
Adamson's one shot, one opportunity
Today, what mattered was the Soaring Falcons not fumbling the bag and capitalizing on the one shot they were given.
And boy, did they seize the day, as they claimed their fourth win in the last five.
They did it by proving once again that Racela's system works: one hinged on defense and doing just enough to give yourself a chance to steal the win in the endgame - the same system which enabled Racela to guide FEU all the way to the UAAP crown back in 2015.
This time though, with a self-admitted far less talented team at his disposal, the champion coach is back in the Final Four after missing the dance last year.
In true Racela fashion, Adamson did just enough, caging the high-octane Red Warriors offense to just 32-percent and just 7-of-28 from distance.
"The beauty about it is we really gave ourselves a chance, the players more specifically did their part of getting here, but we still have a job to do," said Racela, as they won their second fourth place playoff in three seasons.
Cedrick Manzano kept the boat afloat with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double, alongside four assists, two steals, and two blocks, while Mathew Montebon delivered the killer blows, scoring seven of his 13 points in the last 3:25, including the dagger corner three that took the air out of the red-and-white sail in the last 41.3 seconds.
UE, on the other hand, just could not shake off its nightmarish second half of the season, as it lost its sixth straight game and seventh overall in the last eight outings. More painfully, the 15-year Final Four drought continued for the Recto squad.
Bad was then turned to worse when Precious Momowei, the heart of this Red Warriors resurgence, was fouled out at the 3:25 mark of the fourth quarter, with his bad fall over Montebon seeing him stretchered out of the court. He ended his season with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks, failing to rescue his team after their promising 5-2 start.
Jack Cruz-Dumont ended his collegiate career for UE with 15 points built on three treys, on top of four boards and four assists.
The Scores:
ADAMSON 68 – Manzano 17, Montebon 13, Yerro 7, Mantua 6, Anabo 5, Erolon 5, Fransman 5, Ojarikre 4, Ramos 3, Alexander 3, Barasi 0, Barcelona 0, Ronzone 0, Ignacio 0, Dignadice 0.
UE 55 – J. Cruz-Dumont 15, Momowei 10, Abate 10, Maga 10, Fikes 9, Lingolingo 1, Galang 0, Wilson 0, Spandonis 0, Mulingtapang 0, Go 0.
Quarters: 16-10, 39-30, 52-40, 68-55.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
