UP blows out Adamson, 73-42, for third win

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons also showed they can blow out one of their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) foes. Already out of the running for a Final Four slot, the Fighting Maroons cruised to a 73-42 thrashing of the also-ran Adamson Falcons in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum. The Maroons are aiming for a decent finish in Season 71 after being bullied last season. “We went on for the win but we did not expect to win this high," said UP coach Aboy Castro, who seemed to like playing at the Big Dome after winning three of his four games at the Araneta Coliseum. The win, the most lopsided for UP this season, pulled the Maroons out of the cellar as they climbed from eighth to sixth place with a 3-8 mark. The loss was the seventh straight and ninth overall for Adamson, which was coming off a 78-59 loss against the Ateneo Blue Eagles on August 17. The Falcons have not won in a month or since pulling off a 66-64 upset win over the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors on July 20. The Fighting Maroons of coach Aboy Castro even held the Falcons to a season-low four points in the second period. Adamson only managed to add five more in the third quarter when UP built a 54-19 advantage. Miguel De Asis led UP’s attack netting 18 points behind a seven-of-11 shooting from the field and four-of-eight beyond the arc. He also had three rebounds. Martin Reyes added 13 points backed by a six-of-nine shooting from the field to go with his six rebounds. The 43 points scored by Adamson was the lowest scored by a team since the National University Bulldogs scored 40 points in a loss to the La Salle Green Archers on July 15, 2004. The Falcons, who got 14 points from Rey Gorospe, finally found their shooting touch in the fourth period scoring 23 points but UP was way ahead in the game and the final tally was the only thing left to be decided. – GMANews.TV