UAAP: AdU vs UP preview and live-scoring (round 2)

Game starts at 4pm. Page auto-refreshes every 30 seconds. First round meeting: The Adamson University Soaring Falcons lost their big lead but made sure they didn't lose the game, when they faced the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, emerging victorious 69-67, last July 29 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The game seemed to be a cakewalk in the early going, with the Falcons up 28-8 after the first quarter. UP however came back with a vengeance in the second period, closing the period with a 7-0 run to get within single digits of the Falcons, 37-28 by the end of the first half. Another 7-0 run by UP tied things up, after a Henry Asilum jumper, 48-all, and after two charities by Jericho Cruz, the gutsy rookie knotted things anew, resetting the table at the dawn of the fourth quarter. The lead swung back-and-forth between the two sides in the pivotal final quarter. The Falcons showed their version of a 7-0 blast to move up by six, 65-59, with 2:52 left to play, but a triple by Mark Lopez and a lay-in by Alvin Padilla tied things anew with under a minute to play. But the breaks of the game went the Falcons' way, as Rodney Brondial got the offensive rebound and a put-back for the go-ahead score. On the last possession of the game, Alvin Padilla tried to go for the win with a triple, but missed, giving Adamson their first win of Season 75. Key stats: Adamson had what will probably their best shooting game of the season, starting the game with a 63.2 percent first quarter from the field, before finishing on a 27-of-53 clip for 50.9 percent shooting. It probably would have been higher too, if not for a horrible second period that saw them attempt just nine shots and convert on a mere three. How else did the Falcons get the edge ahead? Better three-point shooting, 46.2 percent versus 13.3 percent (Alvin Padilla, who tried to take the final shot, was 1-of-6 prior to his final miss). Adamson also got 15 second-chance points, versus UP's seven, despite getting only one more offensive rebound. Still, UP stuck around thanks to 22 turnover points, one more than Adamson's total turnovers for the game. UP will likely stick to the same strategy in the rematch. The Maroons generate 17.6 turnover points off 7.0 steals on average. With the Falcons norming 17.6 turnovers per game, UP's bound to get some easy points. Adamson on the other hand, excels at two things, stopping the three-point shot (22.2 percent from beyond the arc allowed) and controlling the boards (42 rebounds allowed). If their defense clicks, that might force UP to go to their jump-shooting big men Raul Soyud and the freshly-eligible Chris Ball. Adamson needs to: Improve their finicky free throw percentage. They're dead last in that category, shooting 54.9 percent, but their streaky offense means a low-scoring game is likely, and they'll need every point they can get. After a one-game suspension, Rodney Brondial returns, and he'll have to find a way to co-exist with Eric Camson, who rediscovered his offensive groove versus NU. UP needs to: Be relentless with their defense, attacking the inexperienced Adamson ball-handlers, bullying them into turnover points. They also need to avoid turning the game into a shootout, as Adamson's perimeter defense means they'll likely miss, and the Falcons will then be able to get more productive possessions. ADU projected starting five: Eric Camson (24 points on 9/17 FG, 5/7 FT vs FEU), Jericho Cruz, Rodney Brondial, Jansen Rios, Ryan Monteclaro UP projected starting five: Raul Soyud (14 points on 7/13 FG, 3 rebounds vs ADMU), Chris Ball, Jelo Montecastro, Mark Lopez, Mike Silungan