UAAP: Soaring Falcons endure Tigers' sizzling shooting

For the second straight game, University of Santo Tomas sizzled with its outside shooting. But on a rainy Sunday afternoon, Adamson made sure it can withstand even the best the Tigers could offer. The Falcons held steadier down the stretch and survived the Tigers, 75-71, for their best start in years in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Philsports Arena. Backup guard Lester Alvarez came through with two crucial shots in the final minute as the Falcons endured a record-tying, three-point shooting made by UST.

The win was the third in four outings for Adamson, which surprisingly forged a tie with La Salle in second to third places of the standings. "I think this is a special win for us because last season, we lost a lot of close games. It's helping us to be more matured," said Adamson coach Leo Austria, whose squad was regarded as the league's "heartbreak kids" last season after several down-the-wire losses. Alvarez finished with 22 points, two shy of his career-high set last year against the Archers, while Janus Lozada added 10. The Falcons lost a double-digit lead as the Tigers came roaring back behind 16-of-29 triples. The Tigers made almost 50 percent of their three-point shooting in their 87-81 overtime win over controversial squad University of the Philippines Thursday. "I'm sad that we let them shoot that many treys because UST's main weapon is its outside shooting and we prepared for it," said Austria. "Plus, they're very conditioned and they rely heavily on hitting from that area. So we studied that but we made some lapses." - RCJ, GMANews.TV