UAAP men’s basketball: NU rips Adamson by 37 points for solo lead

By: Jasmine W. Payo - 10 years ago

NU coach Eric Altamirano. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—National University caught Adamson on a bad day as the Bulldogs carved out the most lopsided triumph this season, 62-25, to grab the solo lead in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Bulldogs set the tone for the whopping 37-point ripping right in the opening minutes as they zoomed to early double-digit leads behind Jay Alejandro, Gelo Alolino and Glenn Khobuntin.

“When we watched Adamson in the last two games they were really shooting well,” said NU coach Eric Altamirano. “Today they were not shooting well. It just so happened we played good defense and they couldn’t buy any shot.”

Alejandro unloaded 10 of his team-high 13 points in the first half where the Bulldogs erected a comfortable 29-point cushion, 40-11, on the way to their fourth victory in five games.

The Bulldogs’ advantage ballooned to as many as 39 points, 58-19, as the miserable Falcons wound up scoring not more than eight points per quarter.

“I didn’t see them relax,” Altamirano said of his Bulldogs, the league’s surprise early leader. “I saw their body language even before the game that they were very focused.”

Gelo Alolino added 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Troy Rosario had 10 markers and 10 boards for the Bulldogs.

Led by Alejandro, the Bulldogs zoomed to a 29-point advantage, 40-11, as the Falcons shot only three points in the first quarter and posted a terrible16 percent shooting clip by the end of the game.

The Falcons’ three-point output in the first quarter was the lowest scored by a team since the Bulldogs had the same measly production against Ateneo in 2009.

“Being No. 1–we cannot rest on that,” said Altamirano. “This season is very unpredictable. You can go from 1 to 7 in a span of two games. What’s important is we have to be consistent every game.”

The Falcons remained winless in four outings along with idle University of the Philippines.