FilOil: Adamson Falcons soar late, as defense locks down UP Maroons

The Adamson University Falcons own a top-three spot in Group A play and they’re going to do everything they can do to protect it.

Rodney Brondial had 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Jericho Cruz added 16 points and five assists to lead the Soaring Falcons to a 76-70 victory over the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroon on Friday, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

“I’m happy to see these three guys again. Lahat sila importante dito”, said Coach Leo Austria, talking about Brondial, Cruz, and Ingrid Sewa. “We have to work harder dahil we’re struggling sa FilOil. Going against UP talagang nahirapan kami”.

Adamson U shrugged off three sluggish quarters and limited the Maroons to only two field goals in a decisive fourth quarter. The Maroons’ five-point lead entering the final canto melted away in a 12-0 run, and State U only scored again at the 1:21 mark, when the Falcons led by as much as eight, 74-66.

Coach Austria commended his team's fourth quarter defense, saying, “Yung rotation nakuha nila. I’m trying my best na magkalaruan sila eh [Brondial, Sewa, Cruz]. Kanina kasabay nila si Axel Inigo. Pumasok si Monteclaro at nasustain nila yung effort. Nagkaroon sila ng sense of urgency.”

The Falcons break a deadlock with the San Beda Red Lions, improving to 4-2 to go up by a win over the reigning NCAA champions. Adamson also solidified their postseason chances by ganing a game's lead over FEU Tamaraws and the CSB Blazers, who are tied at 3-4.

The Maroons wedged an early four-point lead, courtesy of a lay-up by rookie Kyles Lao and a stab by center Raul Soyud inside, 4-0. Adamson turned the tides quickly, scoring nine straight points off Brondial, Sewa, and Monteclaro, 9-4. Lao then made a jumper from the left wing to stop the scoring flurry, 9-6.

The referees handed out warnings to Soyud and Sewa after both were caught trash-talking. Cruz took advantage of the dull moment to streak inside for an easy lay-in, to which UP slotman Cris Ball countered with a short stab inside, 11-8. Adamson scored four straight points off Marc Agustin and Brondial, but UP reserve Martin Pascual hit a jumper to keep the lead at five, 15-10. Brondial then nailed a triple to make it an eight-point game, 18-10, but a buzzer-beating hook by Juls Wong kept UP within six, 18-12, after the first quarter.

Agustin’s jumper extended the lead to eight, 20-12, but the Julius Wong and Moriah Gingerich combination led a 12-0 scoring blitz that gave UP the lead at 24-20. Sewa put an end to their scoring drought with a short stab inside, 24-22, but Henry Asilum protected the lead for the Maroons with two free throws, 26-22.

Sewa muscled himself inside and created enough space for a rim-rocker, and Brondial added a point off a split to cut UP’s lead to one, 26-25. The referees slapped Soyud with an unsportsmanlike foul, but Cruz failed to convert anything from the free throw line. Monteclaro heaved a three that connected on the ensuing possession, 28-26, and Cruz added another to lodge a five-point gap between Adamson and UP, 31-26.

Sam Marata nailed a jumper within 10 feet to make it a one-possession game, but Monteclaro again struck from distance to give the Falcons a six-buffer lead heading into the half, 34-28.

The Falcons made only 14 of their 37 attempts in a sloppy first 20 minutes, good for 38 percent. Luckily, their three-pointers kept them in the game, as they hit half of their 10 three-balls. Brondial and Monteclaro top-scored for their team at the half with nine points apiece, with the latter making three of his four tries from downtown.

The Maroons shot equally as bad, making only 12 of their 36 attempts. They rebounded relatively better than the Falcons, 25-18, and converted eight second-chance points off seven offensive rebounds. Wong carved out seven points in seven minutes, while Gingerich chimed in with five points.


A jumper by Lao kick-started a 10-0 run at the dawn of the third, with a floater from Reyes and triples from Pascual and Wong swinging the lead back UP’s way, 38-34. Another triple by Brondial cut the rare UP lead to one, 38-37, but a long-range basket by Martin Pascual extended it to three, 40-37. Adamson then scored three points off a fast break basket by Rios and earned a split by Cruz at the line to even the game at 40-all.

Ball made another short hook inside to give UP a two-point lead, but Cruz and Jansen Rios both made transition baskets to prompt Maroons coach Ricky Dandan into calling a timeout, 44-42. Soyud responded with a post move, 44-44, but Brondial and Rios countered with a shook and a lay-in, 48-44. Free throws by Soyud kept UP close at 48-46, but Brondial was again open inside for a basket, 50-46.

UP started to pull away after a split by Marata and a jumper by Soyud, 51-50. Marata countered Brondial’s free throws with a triple, 54-52, then after a split by Gian Abrigo cut UP’s lead to 54-53, Asilum punched back with a fast break basket, 56-53. After another split by Abrigo, Marata passed the ball to an open Pascual who banked in a triple as time expired, giving UP a five-point lead heading into the fourth, 59-54.

As the final canto started, the Fighting Maroons’ offense froze, while the Falcons hacked away at their deficit. After a split by Pascual at the stripe, Brondial and the rest of the Falcons swooped on the Maroons’ defense to score 12 unanswered points. The Maroons only scored again at the 3:38 mark, after UP starting guard Mikee Reyes sank two free throws to make it a 68-62 game.

UP went on another scoring drought until the 1:21 mark, when Ball finally scored the Maroons’ first basket of the fourth quarter, chipping in two points off a hook, 74-66. By then, it was too late as Cruz responded with a nifty hook off a dream shake, 76-66. Ball hit their second field goal, a triple, and he added a split to make it 76-70, which was what the scoreboard also read as time expired.

The Maroons made a decent number of their shots, sinking 26 of their 64 field goal attempts (41 percent) and making seven out of 22 three-point tries. They also converted 12 second-chance points off 12 offensive rebounds, but their offense produced only 11 points in the fourth quarter, compared to Adamson's 22.

Pascual scored a tourney-high 15 points, followed by Ball, Soyud, and Wong, who each chimed in with 10. Soyud also added eight rebounds to his stat line.

The Falcons can strengthen their hold on the number three spot with a win against the sputtering UPHSD Altas on Wednesday, May 29 at 2:30pm, while the Fighting Maroons still have two games to produce for a win, including one against the JRU Heavy Bombers on the same day at 4:15pm. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

AdU 76 – Brondial 22, Cruz 16, Monteclaro 11, Rios 10, Sewa 6, Agustin 4, Cabrera 3, Abrigo 2, Cabigas 2, Inigo 0, Petilos 0, Ochea 0

UP 70 – Pascual 11, Ball 10, Soyud 10, Wong 10, Marata 6, Lao 6, Gingerich 5, Reyes 4, Asilum 4, Gallarza 2, Desiderio 2, Amar 0, Harris 0

Quarter scoring: 18-12, 34-28, 54-59, 76-70