Adamson Falcons need to play as a team, says coach Fermin

Adamson Falcons head coach Mike Fermin.

Basketball has always been a team game and Adamson University head coach Mike Fermin knows the name on the front is more important than the name on the back.

“When we commit playing for Adamson and not on the names on our backs, we’ll win,” Fermin said after his Falcons lost to Ateneo, 84-60, Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.

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Fermin added that he had to give up two other coaching jobs to be the head coach of Adamson, a sacrifice he wanted his players to reflect on.

“I resigned from my two coaching jobs, for this I will commit to Adamson.”

Adamson matched up with Ateneo neck-and-neck through the first two quarters as the Falcons trailed the Blue Eagles by only 34-30 at the end of the first half.

Then things went south for Adamson as the Blue Eagles went on an 11-3 flight to start the third quarter for a 45-33 lead and the Falcons resorting to individual plays rather than playing within the team system.

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“We went away from our game plan. First half, it was pinpoint execution,” Fermin said. “There were so many one-on-ones.”

“Actually our game plan was to let Kiefer [Ravena] take volume shots and stop his teammates but Kiefer is just too good he then was able to involve his teammates.”

Another factor was Ateneo’s defense on big man Papi Sarr, who finished with 13 points total but only had three points in the second half.

Still, Fermin knows that it would need just a little more push on the Falcons to be able to reach their goals this season.

“I know we can compete. Trust on the system and we can go places,” Fermin said. “For every negative, there’s always a positive.”