Adamson women weather UP’s late-game surge
![The Adamson Lady Falcons managed to subdue University of the Philippines’ late-game rally in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament, pulling off a hard-fought 57-54 win on Sunday, October 27, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.](/sites/default/files/news/UAAP-WBB-Oluwakemi-Adeshina-9384-1024x682.jpg)
The Adamson Lady Falcons managed to subdue University of the Philippines’ late-game rally in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament, pulling off a hard-fought 57-54 win on Sunday, October 27, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Falcons struggled offensively against the Fighting Maroons but their victory put their record at 7-3, ensuring them a semifinal berth.
“If you are aiming for the Final Four, you are not guaranteed after a strong first round, no matter how good of a position you have. We were just telling them that 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 provide the momentum we are looking for as we head into the deeper part of the season,” Monteclaro added.
After Elaine Etang and Kem Adeshina delivered consecutive buckets to extend Adamson’s advantage to six points at 53-47, Achrissa Maw and Kaye Pesquera answered with a four-point burst, trimming UP’s deficit to 52-51 with 2:31 left.
Jam Meniano missed a critical inside attempt as the Lady Falcons committed an eight-second penalty and a blocking foul, allowing Pesquera to convert two charities and cut the margin to one at 55-54 with only 16.7 seconds remaining.
Despite Etang sinking one of her four free throws, the Lady Falcons held on as UP’s Jimenez turned the ball over on their final possession, concluding the game with Adamson’s victory.
"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 us having 71 attempts and they had 51. We became more aggressive and it reflects on how we defended," said Monteclaro.
Etang fueled Adamson’s victory with her usual strong performance, finishing the game with 22 points, five steals, four rebounds, and one assist, while Adeshina made 15 markers built on 5-of-9 shooting, along with six boards and one dime.
Agojo grabbed seven points despite only chipping in five points on 2-of-9 shooting, while Cheska Apag had three points but also dished off four assists and two rebounds.
Adamson will attempt to solidify its third-place standing in the eight-team league when it hosts the struggling University of the East on Wednesday, October 30, at the same Pasay venue.
The Scores:
ADU (63) - Limbago 10, Alaba 7, Adeshina 7, Apag 6, Etang 5, Mazo 5, Bajo 5, Ornopia 4, Delos Santos 4, Agojo 3, Alaba 3, Manlimos 2, Meniano 2, Padilla 0, Trabado 0, Cortez 0.
UE (51) - Yanez 16, Ruiz 12, Ronquillo 10, Ganade 6, Kone 5, Cruz 2, Lumibao 0, Gomez 0, Vacalares 0, Buscar 0, Dalguntas 0.
Quarter Scores: 23-6, 41-21, 53-37, 63-51