Falcons fall to Ateneo despite Chauca onslaught
Date Posted: September 9, 2019 at 09:16 AM
The Soaring Falcons failed to repeat its Season 81 feat after falling to reigning champs Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Blue Eagles, 70-52, at the UAAP Season 82 Men’s Basketball Tournament last September 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Adamson began the game with tentative offense, scoring only 23 points in the first half but eventually got their groove led by the torrid shooting of transferee Valandre Chauca who posted 17 markers and four dimes, with a 3 of 6 three-point clip in his UAAP debut.
Main gunner Jerrick Ahanmisi and new foreign reinforcement Lenda Dounga began their season sparingly with 7 points apiece.
Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin, though, lauded the Falcons’ performance and admitted he expected the tough stand from their foes from San Marcelino.
"It's the last team I really wanted to see in the first game. I had my deja vu moments in the second half. I thought we did a really good job in Jerrick and now we got to deal with this [Valandre] Chauca kid and he's really tough," the American-Kiwi mentor said.
Ateneo was on course to break the game wide open in the third canto with a 48-26 lead until Chauca steered the Falcons to a 19-2 rally capped-off by a Dounga short stab with seven minutes remaining in the fourth.
Center Ange Kouame anchored the Blue Eagles with 17 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, and three steals.
The Falcons shocked the Blue Eagles last Season 81 after staging a comeback to edge Ateneo, also during the tournament opening.
The Soaring Falcons will try to bounce back against the debuting National University (NU) Bulldogs on September 7 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
