Stars need to align — again — for the Adamson Soaring Falcons to even just have the chance of making the UAAP Final Four this year.
The road is expected to be long and complicated for the Adamson Soaring Falcons, should they be able to extend their season into the Final Four of UAAP Season 87.
That is, they no longer have control over their fate after their lopsided loss at the hands of the UST Growling Tigers on Saturday, November 16. Other than having to win their own game against the Ateneo Blue Eagles just to stay alive, the Soaring Falcons need more.
[RELATED: UAAP: UST rides third quarter surge to book Final Four slot at expense of Adamson]
No longer within reach of an outright berth for the semifinals with their 5-7 slate, Adamson can only hope for a playoff for the last Final Four spot.
But before any of that can be included in the conversation, the UE Red Warriors must first lose their final game of elimination against the UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, November 20.
With UE already winning six games this season, Adamson can no longer afford UE to win one more game, since that will give the Red Warriors the last Final Four spot outright.
Should UE lose, the door remains open for the Soaring Falcons.
But first, they’ll then have to hurdle a determined Ateneo Blue Eagles squad in their last game of eliminations on Saturday, November 23.
In case of a UE loss that tumbles the Red Warriors down to 6-8 at the end of 14 games, Adamson must also win over the Blue Eagles to match UE’s win total and force the deciding playoff game.
They then play a winner-take-all knockout game for the last semis spot at a later date.
The winner then gets a chance at defending champions La Salle, armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, in the Final Four.
Of note, the last time Adamson made the Final Four back in UAAP Season 85, the Falcons also got the ticket via playoff — beating the DLSU Green Archers, 80-76, in the playoff for fourth place.
In Season 86, they also made the playoff for the Final Four but lost to Ateneo, 70-48.
This time around, they are hoping for a different result against the Blue Eagles to even have a chance at the Final Four.
Meanwhile, the Blue Eagles (4-9), who are missing out on the Final Four for the first time since UAAP Season 76, are looking to end their season strong by spoiling Adamson’s chances.
Earlier this week, the Blue Eagles already soured UE’s own Final Four bid when they won their game at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion — which denied UE a Final Four spot right then and there.
Both UE and Adamson play their final game of eliminations to determine their Final Four fates on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.