IF you have one shot, one opportunity, how would you take it?
It’s the quandary that both Adamson and University of the East face as they have their lives in the ongoing UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament on the line.
One last ticket, one that comes with facing the defending champion and no. 1-seed La Salle, is up for grabs in the 6:30 p.m. matchup on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena and you bet, both the Soaring Falcons and the Red Warriors will throw everything including the kitchen sink just to catch that bus.
READ: Jhon Calisay's suspension overturned ahead of KO match versus UE
“Labas pato na. Wala nang kailangan i-reserve,” said Adamson coach Nash Racela whose wards defied the bleak preseason projections to once again force itself in a fourth place playoff, with this being the third straight year that they’re playing in a knockout game.
“No more excuses. We have to face the reality and play sa kung anong gusto namin,” responded UE coach Jack Santiago whose crew has been on a tailspin, hobbling to end of the eliminations.
The two teams split their season series, albeit in different circumstances.
UE, one of the league’s darlings back in the first round, pulled off a thrilling 63-62 win last Oct. 6 courtesy of a Wello Lingolingo winner. Defense, however, was the ace up Adamson’s sleeve as it took the 45-37 victory in their second round matchup last Oct. 30.
Since then, a lot has changed.
READ: Adamson has already gone through long and winding road to Final Four
The Soaring Falcons, which undoubtedly has been on a roller coaster ride all season long, have won three of their last four games to end up at 6-8.
Meanwhile the Red Warriors have fumbled chance after chance and suffered five straight defeats to also end up at 6-8.
But all of those are in the past now, and only one game will decide both teams’ fates on who will advance and who will fall by the wayside.
“When you get into the playoffs and you get into a kncokout game, yung mga nangyari before wala na yun. It will be a totally different ball game but sa amin, we’ll just have to prepare the players for that situation,” said Racela, with Adamson looking to return to the Final Four after missing last year’s semifinals this time behind leaders Cedrick Manzano, Joshua Yerro, and Mathew Montebon.
Santiago, for his part, is just praying that the week-long break would help Precious Momowei, John Abate, Lingolingo, and the rest of UE back in the right track and finally end a 15-year Final Four drought.
“Sana ma-correct namin lahat yun at maka-recover na kami.”
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