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| Erwin Duran and Jai Flores are happy they were finally able to notch a win in Season 75. |
UE RED WARRIORS over AdU SOARING FALCONS, 71-66
Despite what the score might suggest, make no mistake that one team was markedly better than the other in this game. Save for the late run by Adamson, the Red Warriors outplayed the Soaring Falcons for the better part of three quarters. UE outplayed, outhustled, and outgunned their counterparts from San Marcelino, even enjoying an 18-point lead late in the third period.
And the guy at the head of this red tide from Recto? None other than Roi Sumang.
The former Letran Squire started slow, scoring just 2 points in the first half. He was content to just play decoy, and he let his teammates do the damage. JR Sumido, Gene Belleza, and Adrian Santos combined for 19 of UE’s 31 points in the first two quarters as the Warriors outshot the Falcons from the field (40% for UE compared to just 21% for Adamson). After the break, though, Sumang scored 8 points in the span of 4 minutes to help his team zoom ahead and seemingly break the game open.
The Recto five continued to hold sway for most of the final frame until Coach Leo Austria’s wards unleashed a key 14-3 blast that cut the gap to just three, 61-58, with 2:40 left. That’s when Sumang came back to life, scoring 8 of UE’s last 10 points on a series of daredevil drives in the last 90 seconds to keep the Falcons at bay and secure the Warriors’ maiden win in Season 75.
Needless to say, this was a good win for UE. It’s a clear highlight in what has otherwise become a gloomy season for the Season 72 Finalists. Even if the final spread implies that this was a close game, and it WAS when Adamson finally clicked in the last few minutes, a glance at the stat-sheets reveals how UE was quite dominant. Aside from having a significant advantage in FG shooting, the Reds also had more assists and fast break points. They also forced 18 Adamson turnovers and, curiously enough, had more second-chance points in spite of the Falcons grabbing 25 offensive rebounds. This victory alone won’t really turn the season around for Coach Jerry Codiñera’s wards, but it should boost their confidence heading into their final first round match against UP.
As for Adamson, the bitterness of the post-Alex Nuyles era will be all too familiar until the end of the season. Their big run came a little too late, but they actually still could’ve won had they shot better from the stripe. They shot FORTY EIGHT free throws, but made only 25. That in itself could be a symbol for how things will go – it’s still a long season and the Falcons will surely get a lot of chances, but without their leader and all-around best talent, it might all just be for naught.
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| Eric Camson's late explosion wasn't enough to tow the Falcons past UE. |
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| Roi Sumang's daredevil drives sealed the first win for Coach Jerry Codiñera and the Red Warriors. |
Scores:
UE 71 – Sumang 18, Sumido 12, Belleza 11, Santos 10, Javier 4, Duran 4, Valdez 3, Hernandez 2, Galanza 2, Alberto 0, Mena 0
AdU 66 – Cabrera 16, Brondial 15, Cruz 14, Camson 14, Etrone 4, Monteclaro 2, Julkipli 1, Trollano 0, Rios 0, Petilos 0
QS: 15-11, 41-23, 60-43, 72-59
Notable Performers:
Roi Sumang (UE) – 18pts, 8asts, 3rebs, 2stls
Adrian Santos (UE) – 10pts, 9rebs, 1blk
Rodney Brondial (AdU) – 15pts, 10rebs, 2blks
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