MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) University of the East avoided a winless first round by beating Adamson University, 64-57, in what doubled as a showdown between brothers Derrick and Franz Pumaren on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Red Warriors used a searing run at the start of the fourth quarter to overhaul a deficit, then held on for the win behind clutch free throws from Philip Manalang.
It was UE's first victory of the season after opening the tournament with six consecutive losses. It also allowed Derrick Pumaren to get the better of younger brother Franz in the first meeting between the siblings in Season 79 men's basketball tournament.
"It doesn't matter if we're playing Franz or any other team – we just have to win this ball game," he added.
Adamson, which was hoping to earn a share of second place, instead dropped to 3-3 ahead of its game against University of Santo Tomas (UST) on Wednesday.
The Soaring Falcons were in control for most of the game, leading by as much as 13 points early in the third quarter, 36-23, off a lay-up by Simon Camacho with 7:51 left to play.
But the Red Warriors, using a tricky zone defense, flustered the Falcons late in the third, while also using their press to score off turnovers. They entered the final frame down by just five points, 40-45, after ending the third quarter with a 9-4 run.
UE's strong play carried over in the fourth quarter, with Alvin Pasaol and Bonbon Batiller sparking a 13-1 run that gave them control of the ball game. A lay-up by Pasaol with 8:37 left to play put the Red Warriors ahead, 47-46.
It was a lead that they would not relinquish. UE went on to lead by seven points, 53-46, with 5:27 to go after a turnover by Adamson's JD Tungcab led to a fastbreak bucket by Batiller on the other end. Their largest lead was at nine, 57-48, with 4:22 to go after two free throws by RR de Leon.
"It was a really hard-earned victory for us," Pumaren said. "When we were up by five or six points in the last six minutes, I was telling my boys that there's nothing to celebrate yet. The game is far from over, and there is an eternity of basketball in the last six minutes."
"We had to close out the game, and finally, we closed out a game," he said.
The Falcons were able to crawl to within four points, 53-57, after a lay-up by Jonathan Espeleta and a triple by Jerrick Ahanmisi. But they gave up a three-point play to Pasaol on the other end, and Pasaol added a crucial defensive stop when he poked the ball away from Adamson center Papi Sarr with 1:21 left.
Forced to foul, Adamson sent UE guard Manalang to the line, and he responded by making four free throws that iced the game for the Red Warriors.
Pasaol finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in an all-around performance, while veteran forward RR de Leon finally snapped out of a funk as he fired 12 points to go along with four boards and three assists.
The Red Warriors also won the battle of the press, as they forced the Falcons to commit 23 turnovers that they turned into 15 points. In contrast, they committed only 13 miscues.
Sarr had 13 points and 25 rebounds, but committed five of Adamson's 23 turnovers. Ahanmisi was the only other Falcon in double-digits, with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
The scores:
UE 64 – Pasaol 13, De Leon 12, Batiller 9, Manalang 7, Varilla 5, Bartolome 5, Olayon 5, Palma 2, Charcos 2, Penuela 2, Derige 2, Abanto 0
ADAMSON 57 – Sarr 13, Ahanmisi 10, Manganti 8, Espeleta 6, Manalang 5, Ochea 5, Tungcab 5, Bernardo 3, Camacho 2, Mustre 0, Pasturan 0, Ng 0
QUARTER SCORES: 7-14, 21-30, 40-45, 64-57
(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)
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