Falcons hope to regroup in time for Ateneo match

The mood inside the Adamson dug-out was a gloomy one after the Falcons dropped a 74-58 decision against University of Santo Tomas. The Falcons knew that they let their best chance of securing the second spot and the twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs slipped away with that loss to the Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum. Adamson could have sealed the No. 2 seeding in the Final Four if it had beaten UST. Instead, the Falcons will hope to play their best against Ateneo, a team gunning for an elimination round sweep, on September 10. After a 16-of-33 field goal shooting in the first half, the Falcons went 3-of-26 in the final two quarters for 16 points—the second lowest recorded second half output since the computerization of the UAAP statistics in 2003. Adamson coach Leo Austria admitted that the Falcons played with complacency against the Tigers. "They thought that they can take on any opponent. They underestimated (UST). This is what I'm afraid," said Austria after the game. Austria added the anticipation of his wards on their scheduled September 10 match against Ateneo could also be a factor for the loss. "A lot of people are telling me that they are anticipating our match against Ateneo. But I always remind my players that we still have UST," said Austria. Despite the loss, Austria remains optimistic that they can bounce back and return to their old form against Ateneo with one week preparation. "It's a demoralizing loss simply because all that we worked hard on and what we expect to happen in this game didn't happen." "I hope we can bounce back after this loss and I think that it will depend on our preparation for this week. But I will try my best to regroup the team," said Austria. - Reuben Terrado/JVP, GMA News