All posts tagged Adamson Falcons

UAAP Season 74 Mens Basketball Final Four Preview

By | September 14, 2011 | 10:49 am |

The UAAP men’s basketball Final 4 starts this Thursday, and it feels a little strange for our Green Archers to be relegated to the role of spectators at these playoffs. Ateneo dominated most of the eliminations to top the list, Adamson performed according to pre-season expectations to place second, FEU was inconsistent and slid down to 3rd, and UST grabbed the last slot with a good finishing kick in the second round. Here’s our preview for both match-ups.

Ateneo (13-1) vs UST (8-6)

Season series:
1st: Ateneo 66 UST 53
2nd: Ateneo 82 UST 57

This year, the Blue Eagles have been playing like a team on a mission – nothing less than a fourth-straight UAAP championship will do. For the past seasons they have successfully managed to add the right pieces to make them the most consistent and diligent team. They have basically steam-rolled past the competition, winning by an average margin of 15 points. Though they were blown out by Adamson in their last game, the Blue Eagles are just too good to fall apart at this stage of the tournament.

UST has been one of the surprises this season. After a sluggish first round, the Growling Tigers caught fire towards the end of the eliminations and at one point even had a chance to nail the second spot in the semis. They’re not considered to have the depth of talent like the other teams but they make that up with hard work and determination.

Key Match-ups

Greg Slaughter vs Karim Abdul – Their team’s fortunes will depend heavily on these two bigmen. Slaughter has been a solid force in the paint while Abdul has been the that low-post threat the Growling Tigers sorely missed since Jervy Cruz left three years ago.

Kiefer Ravena vs Jeric Teng – It’s going to be a duel between these high-scoring guards. Ravena, considered as a cinch to win Rookie of the Year, has been the player everyone expected him to be. Teng on the other hand has emerged as the Tigers top scorer for the past two years. Both players are averaging close to 14 points and 4 rebounds per game.

X-Factors

Ateneo: Nico Salva – The Blue Eagles would need to get steady production from this versatile wingman. Salva is Ateneo’s third leading scorer and his versatility has been a large part to the team’s success. His failure to contribute in their last game against Adamson was one of the factors that led to the loss.

UST: Chris Camus – He is a workhorse on both ends of the floor. You got to love the hustle and energy he brings every game. This season, he added another dimension in his game by improving his outside shot.

The Outcome

The Growling Tigers are no strangers when it comes to Final 4 upsets. They did it back in 1994 and 2006 and on both occasions, they eventually won the title. However, defeating a well-oiled Ateneo squad twice seems to be wishful thinking. Expect the defending three-peat champions to run away with the easy victory here. There’s no stopping the Blue Eagles from entering the Finals and a shot at cementing their place in history.

Adamson (10-4) vs FEU (9-5)

Season series:
1st: Adamson 78 UST 59
2nd: FEU 62 UST 61

After almost two decades of futility, the Falcons have finally found the winning formula. This has got to be strongest Adamson team since 1992 when they had the likes Aquino, Fiehl and Duremdes. The only team to hand Ateneo its first loss of the season, these Falcons are legitimate title contenders.

The Tamaraws were heavily favored this season but somehow struggled especially during the middle part of the tournament. Despite the sidelining of several key stalwarts, FEU was able to muster enough wins down the homestretch to finish third after the elimination round.

Key Match-ups

Lester Alvarez vs RR Garcia – Both are wily guards who can just explode offensively at any time. While Garcia has an advantage in size, Alvarez is the more efficient playmaker and is tops in steals.

Alex Nuyles vs Terrence Romeo – Nuyles has been truly a revelation this year. Not only is he one of the top scorers in the league, he is also among the leaders in the assists category. His athleticism makes him difficult to guard. Romeo, just like Garcia is more of a shooting guard who can torch the defense when he gets his groove from the outside.

X-Factors

Adamson: Eric Camson – Another player who showed tremendous improvement this season. Camson’s rebounding tenacity and soft touch from the perimeter will be very much needed by the Falcons if they intend to go to the finals.

FEU: Aldrech Ramos – With FEU somewhat being a guard-dominated team, Ramos has become a silent operator. The unflashy center is the Tamaraws’ second top scorer and leader in rebounds. Playing in his final year, he will definitely step up his game further to help his team return to the finals.

The Outcome

This is just Adamson’s third time to be in the Final Four and they have not yet won a game in this phase. Though armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, the question remains if the Falcons have what it takes to win when the stakes are at their highest? With many of their starters graduating, this is probably their one best shot to finally end a 34-year title drought.

For FEU, history is not on their side when not having the twice-to-beat. In the 6 times they ranked either 3rd or 4th in the Final Four, they were only able to win a series just once (2000).

Both squads appear to be heavily matched but I’ll give Adamson the slight edge. No doubt, the Falcons are the hungrier team. If the Tamaraws can turn up the tempo, they can probably force a deciding game on Sunday. If that happens, it’s everybody’s ballgame.

Tags: Adamson Falcons, Ateneo Blue Eagles, FEU Tamaraws, UAAP Season 74, UST Tigers

The View From the Armchair – Game 8 vs ADU

By | August 15, 2011 | 12:00 pm |

Déjà vu. Best described by the word another.

Another heart-breaking loss to Adamson, 66-68. Another game that extended our losing streak against the Falcons. And also against Coach Austria. Boy, he sure has our number. Probably memorized it, in fact. In much the same way that we’ve already memorized the strengths of the Falcons, which they used to so much effect (again!!!) in our game today.

Another game that showcased how Adamson has developed an answer for everything we do, for the past 2 years. Using exactly the same weapons that they had used so successfully in the past. Great unhindered outside shooting. Good crossover moves by an opposing guard on the perimeter to get deep into our defense, force the secondary defender to commit, and dish off to a waiting big. I’m sure we’ve seen that repeatedly over the past 2 years.

Another 2 point quarter that highlighted the inability of the team (and particularly the coaches) to adjust to moves of the opponents. The Archers did well in the first quarter, forced the Adamson coaches to make some changes in their setup which worked so well that our team took 9 minutes to score its only basket (and points) while allowing the Falcons to wax hot on the perimeter (I wrote about this after our last game with Adamson).

Another quarter where they were totally outplayed, getting routed both on offense and defense.

On the other hand,  another great quarter where they dominated the opponents.

But also another game where the team failed to find a way to beat a top tier opponent.

Put these all into the mix and you very accurately describe our second round game against Adamson.

Consistency. Certainly a trait of our team. Unfortunately.

Inconsistency. Again unfortunately. Great play in 2 quarters, but losing basketball in the other 2. What can you say? Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde again? Bipolar disorder? I’m running out of words. Also of patience. Read more…

Tags: Adamson Falcons, De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Season 74

Heartbreaker: Archers yield to Falcons

By | August 14, 2011 | 10:07 pm |

With about five minutes remaining in the third quarter and the Green Archers facing a 17-point mountain against the Adamson Falcons, a man sitting a few rows behind me said to his seatmate, “Pare, una na ko. Tambak na naman eh,” before promptly leaving the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Boy, that guy must be in deep regret right now, because he sure missed a lot.

Despite scoring a paltry two points in the second period and being down by as much as 22, the Green Archers mounted a spirited comeback anchored by sophomore Almond Vosotros, who rifled in 12 of his team-high 18 points in the final canto.

Ultimately, however, clutch baskets by Alex Nuyles and Eric Camson allowed the San Marcelino-based squad to escape with a 68-66 triumph. The loss placed La Salle into a tie for third and fourth with the idle FEU Tamaraws, as they both sport 4-4 win-loss records.

A booming triple by the Albay native Vosotros brought the Archers within a solitary point, 63-64, with 1:12 left in the game. Fellow sophomore Oda Tampus then forced a jumpball and won the ensuing possession, but the Green-and-White squad failed to capitalize, giving the ball back to the Falcons after another jumpball, this time between Camson and Archer Norbert Torres.

The Falcons then handed the ball to Camson at the right elbow, and he nailed the last of his game-high 20 points with time down to 18 seconds.

Life, however, still throbbed in the veins of the Archers, as Vosotros found a wide-open Luigi Dela Paz who rattled in a triple from the left wing, knotting the count at 66 for the first time since 2-2 at the start of the game. Read more…

Tags: Adamson Falcons, De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Season 74

Pregame: DLSU vs AdU 8/14

By | August 13, 2011 | 9:39 am |

After escaping with a win over UST last Thursday, La Salle will again be tested tomorrow as they collide with Adamson to start their second round campaign. Game time is at 3PM.

The Green Archers will look to exact revenge on the Falcons, who handed them a frustrating 66-58 setback just the other week.

As far as their game is concerned, I think it’s pretty much obvious what needs to be done by the team in order for them to really contend for the title. No doubt the Archers have the right pieces and talent this season. They have shown flashes of being a very good team but at the same time, they’ve got issues with consistency.

Basketball is also a mental game and the team has to develop that toughness of a championship team. Sustain the same level of energy and aggressiveness for 40 minutes. If their opponent exerts more effort, they should match or even exceed that effort. If their shots don’t fall, make it up on defense instead of being upset.

Simon, Luigi and Joshua remain doubtful for tomorrow’s game. But as what Nel said in his previous article, the team can’t use their possible absence as an excuse and they must be able to overcome adversity if it hopes to be crowned as champions.

This game is pivotal. Not considering the outcome of the Ateneo-FEU match later, a win tomorrow would give the Archers a chance to have a share of 2nd place in the standings. On the other hand, a loss would be fatal as the bottom teams are still very much in contention for the Final Four.

Tags: Adamson Falcons, De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Season 74

The View From the Armchair – Game 6 vs ADU

By | August 9, 2011 | 1:35 pm |

con·sist·ent/kənˈsistənt/Adjective -  (of a person, behavior, or process) Unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time.

Depending on how you look at it, the Green Archers were either consistent, or inconsistent as they fell to the veteran Adamson Falcons, 58-66 last Sunday in a difficult-to-take loss that raised concerns about their ability to compete with the elite teams. The loss prevented the Archers from pulling ahead in the tightening chase for the playoffs with their 3rd loss against as many wins.

If you take the view that the Archers were consistent, you’d be right. The loss was the 3rd to an acknowledged top-tier team, while they had previously dominated teams ranked below them in the 3 victories. As in the losses to Ateneo and FEU, the opponent’s guards were able to get off against our defense, and in those losses, that guard was the top scorer for the opposing team. The Archers also allowed Adamson to continue to use to its traditional strengths, great guard play and good outside shooting, to great effect against us.

How about our team being inconsistent? You’d be right, too. They failed to sustain that sweet-shooting streak against UE, failing to come close to their good shooting marks in field goal percentage, 3point shooting, and free throw accuracy. Some attribute the loss to our inability to make the free throws, as we missed more than half, missing 14 while the losing margin was only 8 points. And lastly, ugly ball made its re-appearance after a 1-game hiatus, resulting in lots of turnovers early which allowed Adamson to seize the momentum it never relinquished.

Well, what’s it to be? Consistent or inconsistent? Wait a minute. Why can’t you make up your mind?

An unsavory streak of sorts

And the streak continues. The Falcons fielded an essentially intact lineup from last year, and were among the consensus favorites for the playoffs. Adamson swept us last year, hopes were high that this edition of the Archers would find a way to reverse the trend. No such luck. Using the same weapons as last year, Coach Austria again found a way to beat us. Of course, he had assistant coach Luck on his bench.

I’m tired of seeing the same results replay every time we play Adamson, so I’m giving away my seat in the replay. Anyone interested in my version of Deja vu? Slightly used, only going on its second year. Read more…

Tags: Adamson Falcons, De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Season 74

Free-Throw Shooting betrays Archers in loss to Falcons

By | August 6, 2011 | 8:03 pm |

La Salle’s bid to gain a share of second place in the standings got derailed by a gritty Adamson squad who prevailed 66-58 today. The Green Archers drop to solo 4th place with a 3-3 card while the Falcons are now tied with FEU at 4-2.

How it happened

They allowed the Falcons to get off to a hot start while their offense went ice cold for a long stretch. La Salle played catch-up the rest of the way and while they were able to close in on the lead on several occasions, Adamson seem to always find a way to make their shots when needed.

Our shooters failed to show-up as the team just went 1 of 10 from beyond the arc. And to top it all off, the Archers shot a very dismal 9 of 23 from the foul line.

The missed free throws cost them the game and nothing else. Yes we could go on and attribute the loss to the rather unfavorable officiating or Adamson being lucky from the perimeter but hey, if La Salle did well with their foul shots they could have won the match despite all the calls that did not go their way.

The breaks and opportunities were there. The missed free throws, the missed open lay-ups, the Archers have no one to blame but themselves for this loss.

Credit should be given to the Falcons for their defense. Oda and LA were just held to 4 and 2 points respectively. On a positive note, Norbert Torres finally got his breakout game as he led the team with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Stat of the game

39% foul shooting. Nuff said.

Next Game

The Archers will face UST on Thursday to close out the first round.

Boxscores:

AdU 66 – Alvarez 18, Lozada 14, Nuyles 12, Camson 11, Etrone 4, Manyara 3, Brondial 2, Canada 2, Colina 0, Cabrera 0.

DLSU 58 – Torres 14, Andrada 11, Marata 9, Vosotros 6, Tampus 4, de la Paz 4, Villanueva 4, Revilla 2, Paredes 2, Atkins 2, Van Opstal 0, Webb 0, Mendoza 0.

Quarters: 21-13; 35-23; 49-45; 66-58.

Tags: Adamson Falcons, De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Season 74

Pregame: DLSU vs AdU 8/6

By | August 5, 2011 | 6:30 am |

The Green Archers rolled over their opponents in the past three games to improve their record to 3-2. They will face a stiffer challenge this time against the Adamson Falcons tomorrow. Game time is at 3PM.

La Salle will be facing a team that has had their number for the past few years. The Archers seem to have problems matching up against the Falcons’ versatility. The last time they won over the Falcons was in the first round of the 2009 season where they escaped with a 64-63 overtime win.

Expect the Falcons to do the zone which has been effective against the Archers for the past two seasons. With the return of LA and the vast improvement of Oda, the team has addressed the need for players that can slash their way to the basket and create their own scoring opportunities. To counter the zone, La Salle’s outside shooters need to be sharp in this match in order to open up the team’s inside offense.

It is also important for the Archers not to engage the Falcons in a scoring duel. Adamson scores at an average of 81 points in their victories but only 54 points in their defeats. The Falcons need to blow out their opponent to have a better chance in winning since they seem to lose their edge when in a close match. Defense is definitely the key.

With FEU losing to UP yesterday, a win by the Green Archers here will tie them with the Tamaraws for second place as we near the end of the first round.

Tags: Adamson Falcons, De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Season 74

UAAP Season 74: Sizing Up the Opposition – Part 1

By | July 6, 2011 | 9:08 am |

With the much-awaited Season 74 about to kick off this weekend, it’s time to look at how the Green Archers might fare against the other teams.

NU Bulldogs

Their fate this year hinges on their prized rookie Bobby Ray Parks, who was cleared to play by the UAAP during the board meeting today, July 5. With Parks on their lineup, NU automatically becomes a playoff contender. With his size and ability, Parks presents a match-up problem both on offense and defense, and the Bulldogs’ game is expected to be built around him. Holdovers Khobuntin, Mbe, Neypes, Singh, and Terso give NU some veteran stability, and the addition of talented Labing-isa at the guard post gives them some flexibility. New coach Eric Altamirano brings a new brand of coaching to the ‘dogs, who upto last year played a street smart, freewheeling type of a game.

What happened last year?

Last year, we split a couple of close games against NU by almost identical scores: we lost in a highly physical game, 55-59 in the team’s second game of the season. In the second round, the Archers evened things up with a 59-56 victory in our 8th game. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Archers 36-46 in their first match-up, and again 47-59 in the 2nd round. NU was the only team which won the battle of the boards with us.

How do we measure up against them?

This early, Parks is the Bulldogs go-to guy, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone who can come close to filling that role if he’s not on the floor. It will be interesting how our coaches will structure our defense against NU. Our pressure defense should continue to force turnovers (last year, we caused them to cough up the ball 25 times in both games) which could lead to easy baskets for us. With a taller lineup compared to last year, the Archers should win the rebounding battle despite Mbe being on the lineup. Incoming NU coach Eric Altamirano represents an upgrade for NU, backed up by Bobby Parks, so the Bulldogs will be a well-trained unit and can pull some surprises. However, expect the strategies developed by our coaching brain trust to lessen the impact of anything NU might try to pull. We will probably have a 2-0 or 1-1 record against NU. Read more…

Tags: Adamson Falcons, NU Bulldogs, UAAP Season 74, UP Maroons, UST Tigers

PCCL Semi-Finals: Archers Fall to Adamson

By | December 1, 2010 | 10:40 pm |

A day after eliminating heavily favored San Beda, the Green Archers ran out of gas in the homestretch and fell to the Adamson Falcons, 59-67 yesterday at the San Juan FilOil Arena. The loss relegated the Archers to a battle for 3rd place against the University of Cebu Webmasters, which lost to Ateneo in the first game.

Like in previous games in the PCCL, the Archers started strong in the first quarter, allowing Adamson only a 2-all tie before racing to a 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter behind the hot shooting of Sam (2 triples), and baskets by Yutien, Maui, Simon, Oda, and Nico. Oda took advantage of a rare starting slot to up the pace of the game, scoring on the break and assisting on Sam’s first triple. Papot, Yutien, and Maui combined to make the paint a difficult place for the Falcons to soar, blocking or altering at least 3 shots in the first quarter.

Adamson started to regain their bearings in the second quarter, capitalizing on several Archer turnovers to score on the return plays. Seven unanswered points in the first minute of the quarter saw the Falcons threaten at 18-15. Oda replied with a twisting shot, but two straight 3point plays by Manyara and Nuyles saw the Falcons take the lead for the first time at 20-21 at the 5:15 mark, followed by a Colina basket as Adamson threatened to pull away. A Nico basket toghther with 3 consecutive fts by Yutien and Martin allowed the Archers to regain the lead, 25-23, but Adamson scored on a triple by Cabrera and baskets by Camson and Alvarez, which were countered by a free throw by Maui and fgs from Papot and Oda to allow a tie at halftime.

The halftime stats showed parity in the 2point field goal, both teams hitting 50%, the Archer starters ourscoring their Adamson counterparts 16-8, but the La Salle bench being outperformed by Adamson’s bench, 14-22.

The 3rd quarter saw the Archers off to another fast start, trading the lead until 36-35, before reeling off 5 straight points to threaten a breakaway at 40-35. The Falcons responded with a 6-0 run to regain the lead, before Sam sank a corner trey and Simon canned 2 fts to give La Salle its final lead, 45-41. Adamson closed the quarter with another 8-0 blast to take the lead for good at 45-49.

Sam opened the fourth quarter with a fastbreak on a Nico assist, but the Archers were held to a single free throw by Maui for over 5 minutes while Adamson reeled off 10 points on 5 Archer errors to take their biggest lead upto that point. Almond finally broke the silence with a perimeter jumper, followed by a Yutien undergoal stab on a Simon assist to narrow the gap to 7 at 52-59. The Archer lineup was further shortened when Simon hurt his hand while guarding Adamson forward Colina, who sank both fts, 52-61 against a single ft from the Archers. With time running out, the Archers resorted to shooting from long distance in an effort to catch up, but all attempts rimmed out until Sam nailed another 3 with time down to 40 seconds, 56-61. A last ditch fouling tactic failed, as Stinett sank both fts with 30 seconds left, 56-63. Sam closed out Archer scoring with a tough double clutch triple as Adamson closed out the game with free throws, 59-67.

So ended the Archers’ marvelous run through the PCCL. With a decimated lineup, the Archers simply did not have the legs in the second half to keep pace with Adamson, and this was evident in the ease with which Adamson penetrated the Archer perimeter and interior defense in the last 2 quarters. Unable to maintain their energy after the first, the Archers lost to an Adamson team that seemed to have solved the Archers’ game, at least for this year.

The Archers play UC for third place honors. UC has a dominant big man, which could be a preview of what the Archers might have to contend with in Ateneo’s Slaughter next season.

Whether the Archers win or lose against UC, this young team will have made its mark on the PCCL.

Tags: Adamson Falcons, PCCL

PCCL Final 4: Green Archers take on Falcons

By | November 30, 2010 | 7:41 am |

Less than 24 hours after scoring a monumental upset win over San Beda, the still undermanned and undersized Green Archers will next take on the Adamson Falcons in the final four stage of the PCCL. Adamson are also coming off a morale-boosting win over fancied FEU yesterday.

In the last UAAP, The Falcons were the only team that swept their season series with the Green Archers. Though still the underdogs in today’s match, the Archers have shown the other day that can still win with a decimated roster. Fatigue will be a concern for the team as they barely had time to rest from that hardly-fought and grueling game against the Red Lions.

The game will be at the Fil-Oil Flying V Arena at 4PM. Televised on Studio23. The winner of this game will most likely meet defending champion Ateneo in the best-of-three finals. The Blue Eagles will take on the University of Cebu Webmasters in the other final four match-up today.

Tags: Adamson Falcons, PCCL
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