Manlapaz breaks out despite OT upset

Date Posted: September 18, 2019 at 08:45 AM

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Rookie AP Manlapaz brought back his Baby Falcon form as he shared the spotlight with the debuting Kobe Paras during the Soaring Falcons’ heartbreaking defeat against rivals University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons.

The Soaring Falcons fell after falling short in another overtime thriller, 83-82, during the UAAP Season 82 Men’s Basketball tournament last September 15 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Manlapaz tallied his season high 17 points, to go along with three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in a game where he banked clutch shot after clutch shot.

Sweet-shooting guard Val Chauca scored 15 of his 21 points in the second canto, to lead the Falcons to a commanding 41-25 lead at the half. Main gunners Jerrick Ahanmisi and Jerom Lastimosa combined for 20 points.

Adamson almost had the game in the bag with a commanding 82-75 lead with 2:22 left in OT when the Fighting Maroons unleashed an 8-0 run capped off by game-clinching freebies from last year’s MVP Bright Akhuetie off Lenda Dounga’s final foul. 

With old reliables Jun Manzo and Ricci Rivero misfiring, Paras, one of UP’s haul of blue-chip recruits, gave his team a much-needed boost with 20 markers. Akhuetie also posted a monster 18-18 point-rebound double-double.

Adamson aims to bounce back against the UST Growling Tigers this September 18 in the same venue.