Baby Falcons eye UAAP crown
Adamson University seeks to close out its University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 high school basketball Finals series against National University Nazareth School today at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Baby Falcons hope to finish the job and capture their first title since coach Charlie Dy’s six-peat squad in 1993 in the 4 p.m. match.
But Adamson coach Mike Fermin claimed that rewriting history is the last thing on their minds as they want to remain focused on winning the crucial Game 2 of their best-of-three series.
“For us, we always take it one game at a time. The reward of winning this game is that we are already one foot away from getting the championship,” said Fermin following their 77-71 win last Sunday.
With their mindset of winning Game 2, the Baby Falcons spent the past few days viewing the tape of their lapses in the opener.
“It’s a good thing that our pressure defense in the fourth quarter worked. They (Bullpups) had a lot of turnovers in the fourth quarter and we were able to convert on those turnovers,” Fermin added.
NUNS, for its part, remains upbeat about its chances of sending the series to a decider on Sunday at the same San Juan venue.
“At least we somehow still have a chance. We will try to win Game 2 and see what happens in Game 3. We have to stay positive. That’s what the boys need at this point,” Bullpups coach Kevin de Castro said.
“I just told them to keep their heads up. They should give everything they can.”
Nigeria’s Collins Akowe, who had 26 points and 11 rebounds in the opener, hopes to get the needed support, as Mac-Mac Alfanta was the other NUNS player who scored in double digits with 11 points.
Adamson, meanwhile, is looking forward to a better offensive showing from its heart and soul Tebol Garcia, who only had three points on 1-of-8 shooting in Game 1.
Vince Reyes led the way for the Baby Falcons, scattering nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, where the San Marcelino-based dribblers outscored the Bullpups, 26-12, in that period.
The league will honor the best individual performers at 3 p.m.