Falcons turn back Archers, stay on track for Final 4 bid

Adamson is dead set to put away its doormat tag in the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines.

The Falcons overcame an eight-point deficit before turning back La Salle, 70-68, Sunday in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Guard Lester Alvarez spearheaded the Falcons’ surge in the closing minutes of the third then kept a hold of his squad down the stretch in towing the San Marcelino-based dribblers to their best first-round finish since 1993.

The Falcons finished the round with a 5-2 card, the best record they posted since 1993 when they had an 11-3 record. Their games, however, were forfeited because of the Marlou Aquino issue.

In 1992 the Falcons entered the finals, but lost to the Johnny Abarrientos-led Far Eastern University Tamaraws.

Like Abarrientos, the Falcons have their own version of a cerebral guard in Alvarez, whose baskets triggered his team’s comeback from 46-54 deficit.

His picture-perfect pass for Alex Nuyles, who scored a nifty fastbreak basket, put the Falcons on top, 69-68, with still 35 seconds left in regulation.

The Falcons held their ground in the next play with Eric Camson stopping Joel Tolentino’s entry pass to lanky forward Yutien Andrada.

After two duty fouls, Camson was sent to the foul line and split his charities.

The Green Archers had one last chance to send the game into overtime, but rookie Luigi de la Paz lost the handle off a tight defensive effort by William Stinnett as the Falcons walked away victorious.

"I think we've overachieved after the first round," said Adamson coach Leo Austria. "They're slowly adjusting to my system and I believe we have a good future ahead of us.

Alvarez, playing his fourth season in the league, scored all of his 12 points in the second half, while adding seven assists and four steals. Veteran forward Jan Colina topscored with 16 points and eight rebounds while the hustling Camson scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards coming off the bench.

Stinnett started at small forward and finished with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists aside from helping out defensively.

Adamson secured its second straight win over La Salle dating back the second round of last season while registering the biggest comeback victory against the Archers since the statistics were computerized in 2003.

De La Paz, a rookie from La Salle-Zobel, finished with 13 points while fellow high school alumnus Joshua Webb added 10 points, but shot only 4-of-12 from the field. Tolentino added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.

It was Tolentino who scored La Salle's final basket, a lay up with 1:22 left, for a 68-67 advantage before the Taft-based cagers faltered down the stretch.

La Salle fell to 4-3. The Archers squandered another big lead for the second time in the last three matches.

The Archers lost a 10-point lead in dropping an 84-80 double- overtime game to unbeaten Far Eastern University last July 29.

"We made major adjustments after three quarters by switching to a zone defense and that was the key," said Austria, who steered the school's only Final Four appearance in 2006. -

RCJ, GMANews.TV