THE Adamson Soaring Falcons are finally showing their maturity.
Adamson coach Franz Pumaren expressed this sentiment after the Soaring Falcons demolished a struggling National University Bulldogs, 64-51, last Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Their third victory in four outings put the Soaring Falcons in second behind the solo leading La Salle Green Archers, who are unbeaten after four games.
This time, it was bench player Kristian Bernardo who delivered in the final moments of the game.
Bernardo, a 6’7” sophomore, hit seven points and grabbed three rebounds in only eight minutes of action.
His putback with 3:27 left put the Falcons ahead, 53-49, and the team fought hard to preserve their lead in the ensuing play.
“We’re showing a lot of maturity and character coming into this game. People think its just Jerrick Ahanmisi, Pappi Sarr and Rob Manalang team. But this time around, I think, the bench really contributed well,” said Pumaren.
During the game, NU’s Alfred Aroga had 17 points and 13 rebounds. He was held to just six markers in the fourth period.
Sarr, on the other hand, had 13 points and 17 rebounds. He was likewise limited in the last canto producing just a single point.
With Bernardo’s game picking up in the last 10 minutes, Pumaren said his performance was a game changer indeed.
“I just played my usual game. I just focused on grabbing as many rebounds as I could. But the opportunity to score came and I just took advantage,” said Bernardo.
