Falcons claw Archers to secure No. 3 spot in Final 4

Adamson nearly squandered a 14-point lead but Kenyan center Austin Manyara was there to bail the Falcons out of trouble. The 6-foot-5 Adamson big man made the shaded lane his own turf in the final three minutes of the contest to lead the Falcons to a 69-64 victory over the Green Archers of La Salle on Thursday in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament. The Nairobi-born Manyara came up with a double-double effort of 11 points and 17 rebounds as the San Marcelino-based squad secured the No. 3 spot in the Final Four. He also blocked two shots as Adamson ended the double-round eliminations with a 9-5 card. The win will give Far Eastern University (FEU) and defending champion Ateneo the luxury of selecting which teams they'll face in the Final Four. Both squads are going to meet on Saturday with the No. 1 spot at stake. The loser gets the No. 2 position and a date with the Falcons in the semis. "Kung gustong makalaban ng FEU ang La Salle, I think they will try to win pero kung nagpetiks-petiks sila, it means gusto nilang makalaban ang Adamson," said coach Leo Austria. "And if Ateneo ang makalaban namin, we will have the chance to end that long losing streak against them," added Austria, regarding their 27-game skid against the Eagles dating back to 1997. DLSU, which lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, ended the elims with an 8-6 slate to settle for the No. 4 spot. After the Falcons' lead was reduced to three points (62-59), Manyara scored a tip-in to extend the lead to five with 2:17 remaining. La Salle's Jovet Mendoza answered back with a layup seconds later. The Green Archers had the chance to further trim the Falcons' lead but failed in their attempt after Yutien Andrada failed to secure the ball off a drop pass by rookie Almond Vosotros with 57 seconds remaining. That set up another big-time effort from Manyara, who grabbed the offensive board off a Lester Alvarez missed attempt before getting hacked by Andrada with 31.7 ticks to go. He calmly sank both free throws for a 66-61 lead that virtually secured Adamson's victory. When asked which team he would like to face, Manyara confidently picked Ateneo, considering the two near victories they had during the elimination round. "We have a score to settle with Ateneo and I hope we meet them in the Final Four," said Manyara. Alvarez likewise had 11 points to share scoring honors with Manyara while Alex Nuyles made nine points, two rebounds and two steals. Thanks to the 11 three-pointers it converted, Adamson gained a 57-43 lead at the end of the third only to see La Salle stage a big run behind Sam Marata's two triples and another one from rookie Luigi Dela Paz to close in at 62-59 with 3:18 remaining. Vosotros led the way for La Salle with 13 points while Marata added 11. Coach Dindo Pumaren refused to talk with reporters after the game, only mentioning that "they will keep our cards to ourselves" as far as their Final Four preparations are concerned. – JVP, GMANews.TV