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

 Game starts at 12nn. Page auto-refreshes every 30 seconds. First round meeting: The Adamson University Soaring Falcons were unable to hang on to their lead late in the game, falling 61-60 to the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers after missing their last four shots, in their first-round meeting last August 19 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Tigers jumped out to an 8-1 lead early in the game, but the Falcons flashed their defensive intensity by holding UST to just seven points in the second period, which allowed Adamson to post a seven-point advantage at the break, 33-26. A 6-0 run by UST had them within three points, 4:42 left in the final quarter, but Allen Etrone doubled the Adamson lead with a triple. That however turned out to be their final score of the match, as UST got baskets from Kevin Ferrer, Jeric Fortuna, and Karim Abdul to overhaul their deficit. Still, the Falcons had a chance to win, but Eric Camson missed with a second to go, forcing the Falcons to settle for just a single win after the first round, while UST tied for the top spot in the standings with a single loss after seven games. Key stats: The Falcons lorded it over UST early, forcing the Tigers into 10 turnovers by halftime, which they converted into eight turnover points. Adamson also had a decided edge in offensive rebounds, 10 to 4, which allowed them to out-score their opponents 5-0 in second chance points. Adamson's hot start turned out to be unsustainable for them though. In the fourth quarter, they made more miscues, 5-2, got no free throws, and shot just 26.7 percent from the field, converting only four field goals. UST on the other hand, went down low to big man Karim Abdul, and the center was money, with seven of his team-high 18 points coming in the fourth quarter. The Falcons will likely keep feeding their hot hand, power forward Eric Camson, who has finally adjusted to being "the man" for Adamson. After a mediocre first round that saw him norm 13 points (34% FG)and 8.6 rebounds, Camson has seen his numbers jump up to 22 points (40% FG) and 12.67 rebounds in their three second round outings so far. UST on the other hand needs to rediscover their scoring touch. They've gone from scoring 74 points per game after the first round, just a hair behind top-ranked Ateneo, to just 56.33 points in their three second round outings. The Tigers simply aren't making outside shots, going from 27.5 percent three-point shooting to 20.31 percent in that same span. Adamson needs to: Continue cleaning the glass like they've been doing. They allow the fewest second-chance points (7.9 per game), with opponents norming only 13.7 offensive caroms per game, 42.6 all in all, the second-best rebounding numbers in the game. If they can limit UST's bombers into just one look per possession, they stand a good chance of upsetting UST. UST needs to: Pound it down low to Karim Abdul if their outside shots aren't falling. Adamson concedes the most points in the paint, 35.6 per game, and their frontcourt doesn't really have anything beyond Camson and Rodney Brondial. If they start doubling Abdul, he'll need to locate the open man in the hopes that their shooting numbers will pick up with open shots. ADU projected starting five: Eric Camson (19 points on 6/16 FG, 5/8 FT, 14 rebounds, 2 assists vs UP), Jericho Cruz, Rodney Brondial, Jansen Rios, Ryan Monteclaro UST projected starting five: Karim Abdul (14 points on 6/9 FG, 2/2 FT, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block vs DLSU), Jeric Fortuna, Jeric Teng, Louie Vigil, Aljon Mariano