Falcons beat UP, grab second place in UAAP

THE ADAMSON Soaring Falcons grabbed solo second place in the standings as they demolished the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 72-46, at the end of the first round of the eliminations in the 74th UAAP basketball tournament yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.

After a lethargic first period that saw the two teams combine for a total of 14 points, the Soaring Falcons took control of the lead and the game in the second canto, where they outscored the Maroons, 27-17, off a host of three-pointers that put them on top, 35-23, at halftime.

There was no turning back for Adamson as Lester Alvarez continued to wax hot from beyond the arc that helped the Falcons establish a 53-34 lead heading to the final frame.

All in all, the Falcons canned 11 three-pointers while UP misfired on all their attempts.

Alex Nuyles, showcased his vast offensive arsenal as he scored 21 points, spiked by four trifectas as well as a crowd-pleasing two-handed slam dunk that put a punctuation mark on their lopsided win.

Adamson’s win put their record at 5-2 (win-loss), slightly behind the undefeated Ateneo Blue Eagles who are at 7-0. The Maroons ended the first round with a 2-5 mark.  Correspondent Jonas Panerio