Eagles take on Tigers
by Waylon Galvez
Games Today (Fil Oil Flying Center, San Juan City)
1 p.m. – Adamson vs NU
4 p.m. – UST vs Ateneo
Fresh from a ‘character building’ win, Adamson University aims for a fifth consecutive victory when it clashes with National University today in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Fil Oil Flying V Center San Juan City.
The game between the red-hot Adamson and NU (1-2) is set at 1 p.m., while defending champion Ateneo (3-1) collides with University of Santo Tomas (1-2) at 4 p.m.
Adamson’s latest win – a 69-68 thriller over University of the Philippines – could be one of the highlights this season judging the way the Falcons pulled off the win.
Forward Sean Manganti typified Adamson’s resolve as he came through with a floater over David Murrel with seven tenths of a second left following a broken play to give his team a breather.
Jerrick Ahanmisi then preserved Manganti’s heroics when he stole the ball from a Felix Jaboneta inbound pass as time expired.
“Definitely it’s a big win, a character win for the team,” said Pumaren, now on his third season with Adamson. “The players are playing close games, and they were able get the win.”
The former PBA player expects the Bulldogs to bounce back strong in hopes of ending their two-game skid, including a humiliating 72-46 loss to the Blue Eagles last Sept 22 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Adamson will continue to rely on Manganti and Ahanmisi, as well as Cameroonian center Papi Sarr.
Equally exciting is the 4 p.m. showdown between Ateneo and UST, as the Eagles will be shooting for their fourth straight win while the Tigers will try to bounce back from a 79-71 loss to Adamson last week.
The game features two champion coaches in Tab Baldwin of Ateneo and UST mentor Aldin Ayo, who left De La Salle University after last season when the Eagles defeated the Green Archers in the finals. In 2016, La Salle – under Ayo – downed the Baldwin–led Ateneo for the titles.
