UAAP Sunday: Falcons outlast Bulldogs, 60-54

For many years, Adamson and National University were regarded as the team’s laughing stock as they almost always find themselves at the tail end of the UAAP men's basketball standings. They’ve been known as the perennial whipping boys and each team considers it a luxury as a win looks imminent when facing any of the two squads. This season, the Falcons and the Bulldogs showed they’re ready to put away the doormat tag with a classy show in front of a wildly-cheering crowd inside the Araneta Coliseum. In the end, the Falcons upstaged the Bulldogs, 60-54, in a playoff-like encounter Sunday. Sophomore Eric Camson matched his career-high of 13 points aside from grabbing 10 rebounds as the new-look Falcons posted their first opening-game win after five years. The last time the Falcons won an opening-game was in 2005, against ironically, the Bulldogs, 116-103.

Adamson coach Leo Austria was happy to snap a five-year, opening-day skid, but he looks forward to ending a losing spell that has been hounding the squad for the past 13 years – a winless record over Ateneo since 1997. “The way we ended our losing skein today, (Sunday) will serve as a big motivation for our next game against Ateneo," said Austria, the former Philippine Basketball Association Rookie of the Year, who wants to put one over the PBA’s former multiple Best Import and now Ateneo Blue Eagles mentor, Norman Black. Camson had six points in a big run, including a jumper in the final 35 seconds of the third period, that gave the Falcons their first sizeable lead, 49-42, entering the final quarter. “Both teams were having first-game jitters, but we were able to get our confidence going at the start of the second half," said Austria. A triple by Roider Cabrera started a 7-2 run by the Falcons in the fourth quarter that was capped by a jumper by Camson as Adamson padded its lead to 12 points, 56-44, with five minutes remaining in the game. Kokoy Hermosisma connected on a triple, to keep the Bulldogs in the thick of the fight, 51-58, in the final 2:03 mark, but Lester Alvarez scored on a lay-up with 1:33 left in the game to seal the deal. Jan Colina had 11 points for Adamson, but left the game late because of an injured foot. Janus Lozada also had 11 markers. Hermosisima led the Bulldogs with 19 points while Melvin Baloran added 18 markers. Rookie Cameroonian Emmanuel Mbe had eight points and 11 rebounds. - RCJ, GMANews.TV