Falcons claim victory sans head coach, Lady Tams unbeaten in three games.
Adamson forward Rodney Brondial attempts a hook shot against two Perpetual Help defenders in their 2013 Filoil Flying V Pre-Season Cup match on Wednesday. (FCF / Vyn Radovan)
Two winless squads already out of the running for the 2013 Filoil Flying V Pre-Season Premier Cup title won separate non-bearing matches on Wednesday at The Arena in San Juan City.
Lyceum of the Philippines, playing their final game of the tournament, survived a rousing fourth quarter comeback by San Sebastian to claim a slim 67-66 victory in the first game.
The Pirates (1-7), who led through each of the first three quarters, saw their production sharply fall in the fourth period with a 20-9 blast completed by the boys of returning head coach Topex Robinson that fell short by a minute.
Mark Francisco tallied 20 points and eight rebounds, followed by Wilson Baltazar’s 13 points and Arwin Azores’ 12 points.
CJ Perez had a monstrous output of 14 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in the loss for the Stags, who winds up their campaign with a 2-6 card.
(FCF / Vyn Radovan)
On the other hand, University of the Philippines win their first match in seven outings following their 75-63 beatdown of Jose Rizal University.
Ex-DLSU swingman Joseph Marata, together with second year big man Raul Soyud, each fired 17 points apiece to lead the heavily rebuilding Maroons.
Paolo Pontejos made his return to the lineup, scoring 11 points in the loss.
Meanwhile, a gritty Adamson University five, playing without head coach Leo Austria, claimed an all-important win before facing a deadly San Beda squad on Saturday to keep within step for the number three seed in Group A.
The Falcons earned a morale-boosting 79-78 victory over a struggling Perpetual Help squad, who is currently in Bangkok, Thailand for his head coaching duties for the San Miguel Beermen in the ASEAN Basketball League.
In Austria’s place was his top assistant Jing Ruiz, who is concurrently the head coach of the Adamson basketball program in the juniors division.
Ryan Monteclaro hit two crucial free throws with 3.3 seconds left in the ballgame, sealing the deal for the San Marcelino-based outfit. The starting two-guard finished with 10 points and six assists.
Jericho Cruz led the Falcons with 27 points and five assists, while big men Rodney Brondial and Ingrid Sewa each had 15 points and nine rebounds apiece.
Far Eastern University, led by the performances of April Siat and Vangie Soriano, claimed a wire-to-wire victory over University of the Philippines in the women’s division, 61-42.
Both Siat and Soriano each scored 11 points apiece to lead the Lady Tamaraws to an unblemished mark in three games.
Bea Daez, a former Assumption College Makati standout, scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in their fourth straight loss in as many games.
