Falcons’ Lastimosa thrives in new role as designated sniper
Three games after injuring his right foot, Adamson Soaring Falcons star Jerom Lastimosa delivered his most efficient outing so far in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
The 5-foot-10 floor general dropped 23 points with a stellar 70 percent shooting from the field to lift the San Marcelino squad over the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 75-70, on Wednesday, November 23, at the MOA Arena.
Fighting for a Final Four berth, Adamson head coach Nash Racela shuffled the roles of key names and shifted Lastimosa from his usual job as a slashing playmaker to a spot-up shooter.
The adjustment did wonders for the veteran mentor as the Dumaguete native nailed five triples in almost 17 minutes of action to help Adamson eliminate FEU from the Final Four race.
“Na-shock din ako sa performance ko. Blessed lang talaga na ganun ‘yung nangyari ngayon sa game ko. Not only me, pero sa teammates namin,” Lastimosa said.
The revamp by Adamson’s coaching staff did not just ease the burden on the team captain but also created better looks for Lastimosa, who entered the game shooting just 21 percent from downtown.
“If you look at this three-point percentage prior to his injury talagang napakababa … because a lot of those were coming off na hindi ko alam kung saan niya kinukuha ‘yung mga tira niya, pero a lot of those were bad shots,” Racela said.
“But today, it’s nice that his teammates were able to look for him, make the right decisions, and nandoon lang siya, ready to shoot,” he added.
Racela said Lastimosa was not done for the season as the Soaring Falcons tied La Salle for the fourth seed, but also stated that the team will make all necessary adjustments to stay alive in the tournament.
Adamson will face the National University Bulldogs on Saturday, November 26.