By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The De La Salle University Green Archers needed huge performances from their all-stars to survive against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, 61-58, during the UAAP Season 84 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Down by eight points with only five minutes left in the ball game, the Green Archers suddenly caught fire courtesy of the hot-shooting of Joaqui Manuel and the aggressiveness of their energetic center Michael Philips that trimmed Adamson’s lead to just one, 52-53.
Adamson however got the lead back off a beautiful backdoor cut play for a deuce, 55-52, converted during the 1:40 mark of the final canto.
Eager to score a quick basket, the Green Archers fed the ball to their main man Justine Baltazar who cashed in a leftie layup that again cut Adamson’s lead to a single point.
La Salle then steamrolled in the last one minute of the game after Deschon Winston gave them the lead, 56-55, off a high-arching floater in the free-throw area.
Adamson had the chance to re-take the lead but their layup attempt was swatted away by Baltazar with 39 seconds left in the clock.
Former San Beda Red Lions star point guard Evan Nelle then sank the cold-blooded three-point bomb that helped extend their lead to four, 59-55, and made it hard for Adamson to recover and generate more clean attempts.
It was La Salle who controlled the tempo in the first half and even established a double-digit lead, 43-33, after a Manuel eruption but Adamson was able to mount a counter offensive run that sparked the opportunities for them.
With the huge win, the Green Archers improved to five wins and two losses while the Soaring Falcons settled for a 2-5 win-loss card.
