Adamson Falcons, FEU Tamaraws eye title berth

MANILA, Philippines—More just rebuilding its confidence, Adamson tries to bring back its fierce game on the floor against a pumped-up Far Eastern University in their do-or-die semifinal showdown in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Sunday.

“We have to adjust,” said Adamson coach Leo Austria. “We also have to realize that they (Tamaraws) are also determined to win. They’re very confident.”

The Falcons—who tote a twice-to-beat advantage after finishing No. 2 at the end of eliminations—go for another shot at the last championship berth in the lone match set at 3 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I think the pressure is still on us,” said FEU coach Bert Flores even after his No. 3 Tamaraws forged a decider with a 59-49 triumph over the Falcons last Thursday.

“We played hungry [in our last game], so I told the team that we should sustain that.”

The winner will advance to the championship round versus top-ranked Ateneo, which clinched the first title berth after nipping University of Santo Tomas, 69-66, in their own Final Four duel last Thursday.

“It was our first time to be in this situation, so I think the pressure was there,” Austria said of his Falcons, who clinched the twice-to-beat bonus for the first time in their team history.

“But I hope we’ve learned from that bad experience. I think it will be a different story [today].”

Only six No. 3 teams had overcome the twice-to-beat advantage of the second-ranked squads since the league introduced the Final Four format in 1994.

FEU pulled off the feat in 2000, stunning Ateneo to advance to the Finals.

“We have to adjust to their (Falcons) zone defense,” said Flores. “That’s where we had a hard time in the last game.”