TEN seconds left on the clock and the Falcons were down by a point. The Adamson crowd have stood up from their seats, with both dismay and determination painted on each of their faces.
What the Falcons and Eagles did not expect, was Dawn Ochea from the bench. The man who took the last second shot and scored two points, claiming Adamson’s win against Ateneo, 62-61 on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Hindi ko alam ‘yung gagawin ko. Pero, parang instinct na sinabi ni coach samin na no matter what na ma-deny sina Jerrick or Robbie, I have to take the shot. And syempre, it was a do-or-die game,” said Ochea.
Adamson led the first, but Ateneo was quick to bounce back and scored 21 points in the third quarter. While AdU scored only 11.
Despite Ateneo’s ten- point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, Adamson’s standout player Robbie Manalang exploded ten points with three minutes on the clock, and tied with Ateneo, 60-60.
Both tension and excitement then filled the coliseum. Team coaches called a time out every now and then, with the drums and loud cheers from the crowd deafening in the background.
Like a championship scene, the Falcons erupted in thunderous cheers as Ochea scored the last point they needed to win over Ateneo.
“This is what I miss with college basketball – the excitement. It was a really good game and both teams showed their characters,” said Adamson Coach Franz Pumaren.
Manalang finished off with 15 points. Ahanmisi added 13 points, while Papi Sarr played well both in the offense and defense, scoring a double-double 13 points and 16 rebounds.
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