The Adamson Soaring Falcons recover from a slow start to set up clash with the DLSU Green Archers in the UAAP Season 87 semifinals.
The Adamson Soaring Falcons are back in the Final Four after nipping the UE Red Warriors, 68-55, in the playoff for the last semis spot in UAAP Season 87 at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday night.
After forcing the playoff with a big win against Ateneo in their last elimination game, the Soaring Falcons repeated over a free-falling UE side thanks to a big game from Cedrick Manzano.
Manzano tallied a double-double of 17 points and 10 boards to tow Adamson to their second Final Four appearance in the last three seasons. He also had four assists, two steals, and two blocks. They thus face defending champions La Salle in the semis starting Saturday.
Adamson flipped the script on UE after finding themselves trailing, 10-2, at the 6:22 mark of the first quarter.
But a scorching 18-0 run bridging the first and second quarters gave momentum to the San Marcelino squad as they led, 20-10, and they just didn’t look back.
Though the Red Warriors got themselves back within three points, 33-30, after a Rainer Maga triple with 1:44 remaining in the first half, they just couldn’t get over the hump for the rest of the ball game.
Adamson led by as much as 15 points, 58-43, after a Manzano basket with 6:33 ticks remaining in the fourth canto.
The game then turned for the worse for UE as Nigerian big man Previous Momowei was stretchered out of the court after a bad fall on a block attempt on Monty Montebon with 3:25 left in the game.
It was also assessed as a blocking foul on Momowei — his fifth of the ball game.
From then on, there was nothing much that the Red Warriors could do as they saw their promising season go down the drain.
After going on a five-game winning streak in the first round, the Red Warriors nosedived into six straight losses — including the playoff loss.
Apart from Manzano, the Soaring Falcons also got to lean on Montebon’s scoring with 13 markers, three rebounds, six assists, and one block.
Meanwhile, graduating guard Jack Cruz-Dumont was the leading force for the Red Warriors with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Momowei ended up with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds before suffering his injury.