Reyes’ double-double leads Baby Falcons to UAAP 86 boys’ basketball finals
Date Posted: February 2, 2024 at 03:14 PM
A monster game from Vince Reyes towed the Baby Falcons to their second straight finals berth in as many years as they thrashed the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs, 80-66, in the semi-finals of the UAAP 86 Boys’ Basketball tournament held January 31, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Reyes, a graduating student-athlete for Adamson, demonstrated his all-around brilliance, contributing 23 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks to lead his team.
Mark Esperanza, on the other hand, showcased his playmaking skills with 12 points and eight assists, while skipper Justine Garcia added 11 points, six assists, and four steals to fill the stat sheet for the Baby Falcons.
Adamson virtually dominated the game, but a scoring outburst by Joaqui Ludovice in the second half kept the Tigers at pace with the San Marcelino crew.
AdU head coach Mike Fermin admitted to the same problem in their previous game, again emphasizing the importance to sticking to the game plan for his boys.
"Parang naulit yung game namin against NU, nanggigigil noong first half. Sabi ko, hindi naman nating kailangang talunin ng first half because it is a 40-minute game or extra," he said.
The long-time juniors coach, though, lauded his wards for their teamwork and determination, which showed as they stayed focused in the second half as UST cut their lead to single digits.
"Talagang naniwala na lang kami sa mga sarili namin, nagtulungan naman kami."
Adamson now awaits the winner of the other Final Four matchup between National University Nazareth School and Far Eastern University-Diliman in the quest for the championship.
Game 1 is scheduled this February 4 at the same venue.
Quarter Scores: 23-17, 37-27, 61-50, 80-66.
AdU (80) – Reyes 23, Esperanza 12, Garcia 11, Medina 11, Bonzalida 6, Abayon 5, Carillo 4, Tumaneng 4, Umali 2, De Jesus 2, Sajili 0.
UST (66) – Ludovice 19, Dungo 17, Buenaflor 8, Ronquillo 7, Manding 6, Bucsit 6, Esteban 3, Lim 0, Verzosa 0, Reyes 0, Velasquez 0, Loreto 0.
