Marlo Cueto/INQUIRER.net
Adamson was never in the conversation as a Final Four contender when Season 87 of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament began, but coach Nash Racela believes relentless hard work will earn his Soaring Falcons a spot on that elite list.
Though it was early in the elimination rounds, the Falcons showed they had what it took to qualify for the finals with a commanding 69-56 win over the University of Santo Tomas at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.
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“We had some anxiety coming into the game after struggling the last few days,” coach Nash Racela said after his team was tied with the favorites to win the championship with a 2-1 record. “What we knew in the first half was we can compete with them (the Glowing Tigers).”
“After the break, you realize, ‘Yeah, that’s possible.’ [to compete] Even though UST has a stronger lineup and support than they had last year, we can still compete against them.” [and] That was the catalyst for the second half.
“Our defense deserves credit,” Racela added.
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Santo Tomas, which suffered its first loss after two straight wins, started strong and dominated the first quarter but fell apart the rest of the way against a tenacious Falcons onslaught.
A basket from Matthew Montebon gave the Falcons their first lead at 33-32 late in the second quarter, but Adamson steadily built the lead from then on, making it a bad night for Santo Tomas and its fans.
Devastating Blitzkrieg
Santo Tomas star Nick Cabanero hit a 3-pointer and then a floater early in the third quarter, but it was all downhill from there for Santo Tomas, as Adamson used a 20-1 run that connected the third and fourth quarters to outscore the Spain-based team, 55-38.
It was a great mental victory for the Falcons, who were coming off a tough 82-52 loss to defending champion La Salle.
And that’s where the question Racela spoke of was born.
“Like Coach Nash said, our concentration was pretty poor coming into the LaSalle game, so we took it as a learning opportunity,” said Montebon, who led Adamson’s comeback win with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Anthony Frenchman and former Tiger Royce Mantova were the two standout players for Racela, each scoring 11 points. Frenchman, a transfer from Enderun, also contributed offensively with 10 rebounds.
There’s no reason to celebrate
“In my first game, I was still feeling my way around because it was my first time playing in a big arena. [so] I just follow Coach Nash’s system. [and] “I’ll try to reach his standards and do what I have to do,” Fransman said in Filipino.
But even if Adamson improves to 2-1, there’s no reason for the Falcons to celebrate as Racela looks to keep his team’s confidence in check.
“Every game is different, that’s something we’re aware of. I think we’re playing FEU (Far Eastern University), La Salle, UST and now Ateneo next, so every game is different,” Racela said. “We preach to them that our defense is different. [each game] So don’t be too happy with the results.
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“People often get complacent, they think they are already good, and then suddenly in the next game they are playing a strong team, so I hope they learn from their experience at La Salle and prepare better in the future,” Racela added. INQ
