Adamson ends 14 years of UAAP futility against Ateneo

The last time Adamson won a game against Ateneo Fidel V. Ramos was still president. That was on September 18, 1997. Adamson's coach was Moises Urbiztondo and Leo Austria was still part of a coaching staff in the Philippine Basketball League. 14 years, three Philippine presidents and four head coaches later, Adamson ended a 29-game losing streak against Ateneo with a lopsided 62-46 win that also sank the Blue Eagles' hopes for an undefeated season. Adamson's win was huge as it also stopped Ateneo's bid to earn an outright finals berth and assured that a semifinals phase among the top four teams will take place instead of a step-ladder tournament. The Falcons' win came after a heartbreaking setback against University of Santo Tomas last week. Adamson coach Leo Austria said that it took a week to lick the wounds from that loss. A win would have secured for the Falcons the second spot in the Final Four regardless of the result of their game against Ateneo. "It took me two days and two sleepless nights, I thought I could no longer coach. We just relaxed and talked with the players for three hours. We didn't practice, we talked about what's wrong with the team and they spoke," said Austria. "From there, we became a family and we knew that nobody will help us except us," Austria added. The Adamson community was supportive of the team as they even held a pep rally last Thursday. "We had a lot of activities, I was concerned at first that my players would get tired and lose their focus but everyone was enthusiastic. Tickets for the Ateneo game were sold out," said Austria. Emotions ran high after Adamson finally claimed the victory. Alex Nuyles, who had 21 points in the game, wept as the school's hymn was being played. "I want to cry tears of joy. After 29 games, we finally won. Three times, we lost by only one point. This is really the sweetest win for Adamson," said Austria. — JVP/HS, GMA News