By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Adamson University Soaring Falcons staged a massive upset victory after taking down the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, 69-59, in the ongoing UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Oct. 18, 2025, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
After a tightly contested ball game in the first quarter, where the Growling Tigers held a five-point lead, the Soaring Falcons leaned on a clinical second-frame finish to snatch the momentum, which eventually set the tone for the rest of the game.
Adamson broke a 22-all deadlock midway through the second, unleashing a 16-3 run that ballooned the Soaring Falcons’ advantage to 13 points at the half, 38-25.
Known for their disciplined defense, Adamson showed why they are the best in the UAAP in that department after holding UST to its worst scoring game of the ongoing season.
During the past six games, the Growling Tigers averaged 91.67 points — a huge disparity in their loss against Adamson, where they faced a defensive-minded squad mentored by head coach Nash Racela.
Adamson’s on-point defensive communication was key to their momentum-changing second-quarter run, as they picked up steals that led to several breakaway freebie points.
Aside from their great anticipation on the passing lanes, the Soaring Falcons also clogged UST’s shaded lane, preventing Collins Akowe from feasting inside the paint.
The Growling Tigers threatened to come back after trimming Adamson’s lead to five points twice in the fourth quarter, but clutch shots from Cedrick Manzano, Ray Allen Torres, and AJ Fransman extended the Soaring Falcons’ cushion again to 10 points.
With time already not on their side, the Growling Tigers fell short of a come-from-behind effort, suffering their second loss in the tournament while the Soaring Falcons improved to 3-4 at the end of the first round.
Fransman was the head of the snake for Adamson, dropping 18 big points built from three converted three-pointers in the grueling and physical win.
Meanwhile, Manzano, the team’s star enforcer, put up his usual numbers and tallied 12 markers and eight rebounds, while Torres chipped in 10 points.
“Malaking bagay ‘yung mga ganung run, especially facing the big teams — hindi puwedeng laging close games. ‘Yun ang target namin, to get a lead heading into the crucial parts of the game,” said Adamson head coach Racela after the win.
