UAAP: Adamson defeats National U despite 31-point performance by Parks

MANILA, Philippines – There were no let-ups this time – as a sturdy Adamson crushed National University, 68-53, on a hotshooting night Thursday in the 74th UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Alex Nuyles was impeccable from beyond the arc albeit missing nine shots from the two-point area, Janus Lozada uncorked one from deep, while Roider Cabrera nailed three-of-six triples as the Falcons continued to firm up their bid for a twice-to-beat incentive.

The wiry wingmen Nuyles and Lozada brought in 13 points each, even as Cabrera pitched in 11 points for Adamson who nailed its seventh win with two setbacks.

“Patience brought us here, I’m happy the players stepped up,” said coach Leo Austria of the victory.

Back-to-back treys from Nuyles and Lozada brought the Falcons out of the woods, 62-46, with 4:41 to play in the game – making sure there was no repeat of their last encounter where Adamson wavered during crunch time, for a 56-63 setback.

“They knew the importance of this game and that we shouldn’t be overconfident,” said Austria, whose squad was fresh off a thrilling victory over La Salle last Sunday, on a game winner by Nuyles.

The Falcons bucked a 31-point explosion from the multifaceted swingman and rookie Bobby Ray Parks, who scored more than half of his total squad’s output sans an assist.

Park’s 31 points in a losing cause was the most since Rabeh Al Hussaini’s 33-point performance in the setback against Far Eastern University in 2008.

Parks nailed a bucket with under a minute in the third which trimmed Adamson’s lead, which went up as big as 17 points, to seven, 45-38.

But the veteran playmaker Jerick Canada, who added nine points, answered back with triple at the third quarter buzzer which swung the momentum back to the Falcons for good.

After Parks, no one else in the Bulldogs side put up significant numbers even as Emmanuel Mbe and Lee Villamor, whose stunning performances carried NU the last time against Adamson, combined for only eight points.

The Bulldogs, who only managed only six measly assists compared to the Falcons’ 18, dropped their sixth game with three victories.