By NIKOLE JAVIER
Adamson recovered from a 19-point deficit to slip past University of Santo Tomas with a 56-55 win in the second round of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Soaring Falcons crawled back from 47-28 deficit midway in the third period and rediscovered their offensive display heading into the fourth to frustrate the skidding Growling Tigers.
With Jerom Lastimosa missing the game due to an ankle injury, Cedrick Manzano carried the load and finished with a double-double outing of 19 points on top of 10 rebounds including the game-winning layup with 8.4 ticks left in the contest for their fourth win against five losses.
With 8:11 to go, Adamson unwrapped the fourth period with four consecutive baskets at the heels of an 18-3 run.
However, UST quickly got back on its feet off a Paul Manalang three-pointer followed by a JC Garing layup, 55-48.
JM Sabandal then pulled up for a jumper before Lenda Douanga and Jed Colonia split their respective free throws to pull Adamson within three.
Now with a chance to redeem himself after missing the game-tying triple earlier, Manzano capped the match with a huge and-1 play with 8.4 remaining.
“Wala na kaming mapuntahan. We were really struggling. In the second half, we wrote in our white board “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” kailangan talaga tumira tayo. Good thing may hindi natatakot tumira kanina, so binuhat kami ni Cedrick,” Adamson head coach Nash Racela.
Nic Cabanero, who played his career-high game points against their victory over Adamson last Oct. 1, had 22 points to go along with six rebounds as UST absorbed its eighth straight loss in the league.
The Scores:
ADAMSON 56 -- Manzano 19, Douanga 9, Torres 8, Jaymalin 6, Sabandal 4, Colonia 4, Barasi 4, Yerro 2, Hanapi 0, Flowers 0, Fuentebella 0, W. Magbuhos 0.
UST 55 -- Cabanero 22, Pangilinan 9, Manaytay 6, Manalang 5, Garing 5, Faye 3, Calimag 3, Duremdes 2, Lazarte 0, Gesalem 0, Mantua 0, Herrera 0, Escobido 0.
Quarters: 11-17, 19-31, 40-50, 56-55.