Adamson University held off a late-game rally by University of the Philippines to strengthen its hold on third place in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament, clinching a hard-fought 57-54 victory on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Despite all the offensive struggles, the Lady Falcons posted their second straight win and improved to 7-3 overall, establishing a two-game lead over the Ateneo Blue Eagles, who are set to face the Fighting Maroons on Wednesday.
The win also secured a Final Four spot for idle NU Lady Bulldogs, making them the first team in the women’s division to clinch a Final Four berth.
Meanwhile, UP’s playoff hopes took a hit as they fell to a 3-6 record, remaining in fifth place with five games left in the elimination round.
“If you are aiming for the Final Four, you are not guaranteed after a strong first round even how good of a position you have. We were just telling them na the next three games are very crucial in our bid for a Final Four spot,” said Adamson head coach Ryan Monteclaro. “Luckily, we are two out of three. With this win, I hope this will be the momentum that we’re willing looking forward to heading into the deeper part of the season.”
After consecutive layups by Elaine Etang and Kem Adeshina pushed the Lady Falcons’ lead to six, 53-47, Achrissa Maw and Kaye Pesquera responded with a four-point burst to cut UP’s deficit to 53-51 with 2:31 remaining.
A crucial inside shot by Jam Meniano fell short as the Lady Falcons committed an eight-second violation and a blocking foul, allowing Pesquera to make two free throws and narrow the lead to one, 55-54, with 16.7 seconds on the clock.
Despite Etang hitting just one of her four free throws in two late trips to the line, Adamson held on as UP’s Jimenez turned the ball over on their final possession, sealing the victory for the Lady Falcons.
“For a team to shoot 18-of-71 and still win the game, that shows our character. In the first half, we were focused on our attempts, we were so tentative. It ended up with we have 71 attempts and they have 51. We became more aggressive and it reflects on how we defended,” Monteclaro added.
Etang powered Adamson’s second consecutive win with 22 points, five steals, four rebounds, and one assist, while Adeshina contributed 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds, and one assist.
Agojo was limited to five points on 2-of-9 shooting but still grabbed seven rebounds, while Apag was held to three points but still contributed four assists and two rebounds.
Adamson will look to further cement their third-place position in the eight-team league when they face the struggling University of the East on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the same Pasay venue.
Rizza Lozada emerged as the Fighting Maroons’ lone double-digit scorer with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Pesquera was limited to nine points on 2-of-8 shooting and seven turnovers but still contributed five rebounds and two assists.
Maw chipped in nine points, five rebounds, and one assists, while Louna Ozar contributed eight points, eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal, but turned the ball over nine times. Christie Bariquit was held to five points but still grabbed 11 rebounds and two assists.
UP, on the other hand, aims to bounce back against an undefeated National U squad next Sunday, Nov. 3, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Games on Wednesday (SM Mall of Asia Arena)
8 a.m. – UE vs UST (JHS)
10 a.m. – AdU vs UE (Women)
12 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP (Women)
2 p.m. – AdU vs UE (Men)
6:30 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP (Men)
