Adamson stages late fightback to stun FEU in UAAP Season 89 opener

PHOTO CREDITS: UAAP Season 89 Media Team

Adamson University closed the game with a 19-7 fourth-quarter surge to rally past Far Eastern University, 56-53, in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament opener on Sunday, September 13 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jorick Bautista came out firing for the Tamaraws draining three early triples, but his shots stopped falling as the game progressed.

FEU still managed to take a 46-37 lead into the fourth quarter and was 10 minutes away from snapping its six-season-long opening-game losing streak.

However, Mat Edding, Matty Erolon, and Precious Jonah went to work in the final frame, sparking the Falcons' 19-point fourth-quarter assault while holding FEU to just seven.

Edding finished with 10 points, Erolon added eight, while Jonah posted eight points and 11 rebounds as Adamson steadily chipped away at the Tamaraws' lead.

Mongcopa had the final look for FEU, but his three-point shot missed the mark.

Monty Montebon supplied the outside shooting for the Falcons, leading all scorers with 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

FEU's lone bright spot came from reigning UAAP Juniors MVP Cabs Cabonilas, who made his seniors debut with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. The green-and-gold homegrown was responsible for all seven of the Tamaraws' fourth-quarter points, but didn’t have enough help from his seniors.

Last season's core of Janrey Pasaol, Kirby Mongcopa, and Mo Konateh, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm. Reigning UAAP MVP Pasaol finished with 11 points, while Konateh and Mongcopa added five and four, respectively.

The Soaring Falcons move to 1-0 in Season 89, while FEU falls to 0-1 and remains winless in its last seven season openers.

THE SCORES:

AdU 56 — Montebon 18, Edding 10, Erolon 8, Jonah 8, Anabo 5, Torres 5, Barcelona 2, Fransman 0, Medina 0, Tumaneng 0, Cruz-Dumont 0, Pacquiao 0, Perez 0.

FEU 53 — Pasaol 11, Cabonillas 11, Bautista 9, Gish 5, Konateh 5, Mongcopa 4, Felipe 4, Burgos 2, Montemayor 2, Daa 0, Nakai 0.

Quarterscores: 11-16, 28-36, 37-46, 56-53.