Adamson small forward Sean Manganti almost singlehandedly lifted the Falcons into the semifinals after scoring 18 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter of a Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup duel with San Beda on Thursday.
But Robert Bolick and the Lions had other plans as they hung on to a 64-62 victory at Filoil Flying V Centre.
For Manganti, he wanted to get out of his slump and leave a memorable performance in his last Filoil tournament with the Falcons.
“This is my last Filoil tournament so I just want to leave my mark and try to get us a win but it wasn’t enough,” Manganti said.
Manganti caught fire in the last five minutes of the game and sank five three-pointers and an and-one.
Manganti added he improved his shooting and dribbling thanks to assistant coaches Don Allado and Ren-Ren Ritualo.
“I’ve been working with coach Don Allado and coach Ren-Ren Ritualo and just help me develop my overall game,” Manganti said.
Despite the Falcons’ exit in the tournament, Manganti sees his performance as a sign of improvement for the Falcons in the upcoming UAAP season.
“I think our team has a good chance of winning this year and individually, I want to prove that I’m one of the best small forwards in college basketball,” Manganti said. Ivan Ruiz L. Suing