Falcons drop Pre-season opener against La Salle
The Adamson Soaring Falcons, who have undergone major lineup and coaching changes in the offseason, fell in their first game of the Filoil Pre-Season Cup against the DLSU Green Archers, 88-98, earlier this afternoon, at the San Juan Arena.
Fil-Am players Sean Manganti and Robbie Manalang led the Falcons with 13 and 11, respectively. Former Green Archer Terrence Mustre also chipped in 11 for Adamson. The Green Archers flexed their muscles right from the start, racing off to a 9-0 lead. Still searching for their offense, the Falcons struggled to find their rhythm early in the game, eventually falling into a 14-point deficit,11-25. The first quarter ended with Adamson trailing 17-28.
Fortunately for Adamson, their offense started clicking in the 2nd quarter. Adamson was able to cut the deficit to just three with a fast-paced 12-4 run, 32-29. A three-pointer from Harold Ng and a deuce from Manganti gave the Falcons their first lead of the game, 34-32.
Both teams would then trade runs throughout the quarter. Adamson used their pesky defense and speed to match DLSU's size and skill. The 2nd quarter ended with the Falcons trailing by three, 45-48.
The early parts of the third canto saw an intense and physical affair between the two teams with neither side giving up an inch. Big man Papi Sarr had six points in this stretch, but that would be his only points as he was consistently swarmed by DLSU's defense. Sharpshooter Rob Manalang gave Adamson the lead once again through a three-pointer, 62-61. However, that would be the last time Adamson would have the lead. Through their revamped full-court press, DLSU was able to finish the quarter with an 8-1 run, putting Adamson on a 63-69 deficit. The offensive woes for Adamson continued in the fourth. The suffocating trap of DlSU caused the Falcons to give the ball away too many times. Eventually, the Archers' lead ballooned to 87-73 midway in the final canto.
Adamson's offense never found its way back to the team, while Jeron Teng and the Archers coasted through the end of the game. The game ended with a double-digit win for DlSU, 88-98.
Despite the loss, Coach Franz Pumaren said that he was still "quite happy" with the team's performance. "We're here in Filoil to assess the team, assess our players and the things that we need to redo," Pumaren said. " I was quite happy with the team's performance. At least we showed some of the things that we're trying to apply." "Our priority right now is for them to have a firm grasp of what we're trying to instill," he added.
Harold Ng, Dawn Ochea, Papi Sarr, Carlo Escalambre, Khristian Bernardo and Cristian Garcia were the only players from last season's roster who played in this game.
Adamson will next face the Ateneo Blue Eagles on May 6, 4pm, at the San Juan Arena.
