UAAP HS hoops: No. 1 Adamson faces lone season tormentor UST in finals return bid

MANILA, Philippines – Adamson high school’s unselfish brand of basketball continues to pay off dividends in the UAAP Season 86 boys’ basketball tournament, but the job is far from done for the cohesive unit in their finals return bid.

Standing in the way of the twice-to-beat Baby Falcons at the start of the Final Four are the ever-dangerous UST Tiger Cubs, who bowed to the defending champion FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws, 78-84, at the conclusion of the elimination round on Sunday, January 28.

Although only sporting an 8-6 record, it was the Andrei Dungo-led Tiger Cubs who handed Adamson its only loss in the elimination round: a 67-64 upset last January 7.

Also on Sunday afternoon, the Baby Falcons completed their stellar top-seeded campaign with a statement 87-75 rout of the NU-Nazareth Bullpups, who dropped to second-place with an 11-3 record, and will now face third-seeded champion FEU in the other Final Four bracket.

As Adamson continued to boast an unpredictably deep rotation, Earl Medina took his turn on top of the scoring list against NU with 22 points – 12 coming in the pivotal third-quarter charge – to go with 5 steals.

Usual top scorer Justine Garcia was right behind him, however, with a big 20-point, 10-assist double-double plus 6 rebounds, and 3 swipes, while Vince Reyes chipped in 16 points, 7 dimes, 5 boards, and 4 pilfers.

Mac-Mac Alfanta paced the Bullpups in the loss with 20 points, while runaway MVP candidate Collins Akowe churned out a huge 13-point, 21-rebound double-double.

In the two other games of the season’s final quadruple-header, the fifth-ranked UE Junior Warriors blasted No. 7 Ateneo Blue Eagles, 77-61, off a massive 28-point, 20-board line in just 26 minutes from John Edry Alejandro.

Lastly, the sixth-place La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers ended their lost season on a positive note with a 75-64 outgunning of the bottom-dwelling UPIS Junior Maroons, led by 29 points and 11 rebounds from Maco Davao. – Rappler.com