FEU, AdU clip big guns

Games Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 2 p.m. – UST vs FEU (Men) 4 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (Men)

Adamson and Far Eastern brought down the league heavyweights yesterday in the 81st Season of the UAAP basketball wars at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Given little chance coming into the game, the Falcons used a big second half as they clawed back from a slow start and then showed great poise down the stretch to beat the Blue Eagles, 7470.

Earlier, FEU finally checked a losing skid against DLSU that spanned three years as the Tamaraws came through with a 68-61 victory against the Green Archers – the UAAP champion in 2016.

Ateneo led by as many as 11 points, 29-18, on a layup by Aaron Black, but the Falcons came charging back behind a solid defense and then took a 40-39 advantage at the half on a buzzer-beating three-point shot by Jerrick Ahanmisi – brother of PBA player Maverick of Rain or Shine.

Adamson was ahead 59-51 early in the fourth period when Ateneo rallied back as a jumper by Matt Nieto gave them a 67-66 lead with 4:29 left. It was a tight game until a put back by Papi Sarr shattered the game’s last deadlock, and after a missed shot by Ateneo, Sean Manganti converted two free throws to make it 74-70, 13.5 seconds to play.

Ahanmisi led Adamson with 23 points, while Vince Magbuhos had a double-double effort of 10 points and 10 boards. Nieto had 21 points to lead Ateneo. FEU’s Arvin Tolentino starred in the Morayta-based squad’s conquest of La Salle by sinking a triple in a crucial breakaway with less than two minutes remaining.

FEU 68 – Tolentino 13, Tuffin 11, Iñigo 10, Comboy 9, Stockton 9, Cani 7, Parker 5, Eboña 2, Escoto 2, Orizu 0.

DLSU 61 – Santillan 19, Melecio 11, Caracut 9, Baltazar 8, Montalbo 5, Serrano 3, Bates 2, Samuel 2, Manuel 1, Dyke 1, Go 0, Corteza 0, Capacio 0.

Quarters: 11-14, 25-26, 48-48, 68-61.

AdU 74 – Ahanmisi 23, Magbuhos V. 10, Sarr 8, Espeleta 7, Catapusan 7, Lastimosa 6, Manganti 4, Pingoy 3, Mojica 3, Camacho 2, Colonia 1, Bernardo 0.

Ateneo 70 – Nieto Ma. 21, Verano 10, Ravena 7, Asistio 7, Go 6, Navarro 5, Mendoza 5, Nieto Mi. 4, Black 4, Kouame 1, Wong 0, Tio 0, Belangel 0.

Quarters: 18-20, 40-39, 55-51, 74-70.