FilOil: Mbe, Bulldogs survive Falcons, sweep Group B elims

The Adamson University Soaring Falcons roster still heavily features shooters – an army of them. National University, however, has an Emmanuel Mbe. The Camerooninan center hit the game-winner and UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks stole the inbounds pass to clinch a sweep of their FilOil Flying V Pre-season Tournament elimination round, 69-67 over the Falcons, Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.   “Jean,” as Coach Eric Altamirano fondly calls him, hurriedly grabbed the ball off a broken play intended for Gelo Alolino and flung it to the rim, where it rattled for a good three seconds until finally settling on giving NU their much-needed two points with just a second and four-tenths remaining. Mbe’s co-star, Parks, could only jump in jubilation after stealing Adamson’s inbounds, preventing them from attempting a desperation play that could have forced overtime. The Bulldogs led as much as 15 points twice in the game – once after a drive in the lane by Alolino, 55-40, and again after an awkward jumper by Alolino as well, 57-42. The Falcons, true to their form, relied on gritty defense and an effective shot selection which kept them in the game. In the final quarter though, after a split by Brondial at the free-throw line, Adamson forward Eric Camson stole the ball off an NU inbounds pass and laid it in. Falcons swingman Jericho Cruz replicated the same play a few seconds after, slicing NU’s lead to four points, 63-59. The barrage did not stop there, as Roider Cabrera sank a three-pointer, and got fouled in the process. His four-point play tied the game at 63-all. NU drew up a play which freed up Mbe in the post, but Camson was left open on the next possession and hit his trademark jumper to bring the game to a deadlock, with only 12 seconds left. With the ball in Parks’ hand, the Bulldogs melted away the time until NU Bulldog Denice Villamor fumbled in the act of dribbling. The ball found its way into Mbe’s hands, and found itself through the hoop a split second after. The Falcons logged a considerable performance in the offensive rebounding department, hauling in 18 caroms compared to NU’s 10. That gave Adamson a considerable advantage in second chance points, with 17 points compared to NU’s paltry four. However, that advantage was nullified by the Falcons' poor showing at the foul line. In a game decided by a field goal, Adamson missed 10 out of 15 charities, with marquee names Nuyles and Camson combining for seven of those missed free throws. Mbe led all scorers with 26 points on 9-of-12 field goal shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 free throw performance, to go along with 13 rebounds, while Parks turned in an all-around game with 12 markers, seven rebounds, and four assists. Camson notched 16 points, seven rebounds and two assist , while Nuyles added a quiet 12 points. He was followed by center Rodney Brondial, who tallied 11 points on 14 shots and eight rebounds. The win gives the Bulldogs a perfect 8-0 record in Group B play, and now take a long break until the quarterfinals of the tournament, which begin on June 6. The Falcons on the other hand sank to 2-3, and will likely need a strong finish to advance to the next round. - AMD, GMA News The scores: NU 69 – Mbe 26, Parks 12, Javillonar 9, Alolino 6, Betayene 6, De Guzman 3, Labing-isa 3, Villamor 2, Celda 2, Rono 0, Khobuntin 0, Singh 0, Neypes 0 AdU 67 – Camson 16, Nuyles 12, Brondial 11, Cabrera 8, Etrone 8, Cruz 4, Petilos 3, Julkipli 2, Abrigo 2, Cabigas 1, Trollano 0, Monteclaro 0, Agustin 0 Quarter scoring: 19-10, 37-33, 59-47, 69-67 FilOil 051912 NU vs ADU