Dream win

Ateneo’s Matt Nieto slices the defense of Adamson’s Papi Sarr and Jerrick Ahanmisi. INQUIRER PHOTO/ Sherwin Vardeleon

Adamson took down defending champion Ateneo, 74-70, on Sunday to cap off the opening weekend of the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.

Papi Sarr put up the biggest shot of the game after he cleaned up Sean Manganti’s miss and connected on a layup for a 72-70 Falcons lead in the final 39.4 seconds.

That play was the punctuation mark on an already frantic fourth quarter after Adamson coach Franz Pumaren was slapped a technical foul with 4:41 left in the game.

“We can’t do anything about that call because it was already given, there’s no point arguing,” said Pumaren. “I just had to concentrate down the stretch.”

Pumaren’s technical foul was due to “improper bench decorum” after what he deemed were questionable calls against his players.

Jerrick Ahanmisi, given the green light for an isolation play, took full advantage and drove to the basket for the layup that put Adamson ahead with 1:09 left, 70-68.

Adamson’s lead, however, lasted for just eight seconds after Thirdy Ravena followed up Isaac Go’s missed triple with a putback dunk, tying the game at 70-all with 1:01 remaining.

Ahanmisi fired a game-high 23 points for the Falcons.

Matt Nieto led Ateneo with 21 points.

In the first game, Arvin Tolentino made up for a lethargic first half to carry Far Eastern U past La Salle, 68-61.

The 6-foot-4 Tolentino came alive in the next two quarters with 13 points. —BONG LOZADA, INQUIRER.NET