Adamson coach Nash Racela. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—To take down two of the best teams in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament, one would need herculean efforts to pull it off.
Adamson did just that in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, defeating last season’s finalists Ateneo and University of the Philippines.
However, when the Soaring Falcons defeated the Blue Eagles in a tight contest last Sunday, 61-60, coach Nash Racela shrugged it off and downplayed the victories.
“Ah, gano’n ba? (Oh, is that so?)” Racela said in jest when he found out that his squad had defeated two of Season 85’s best squads.
Racela explained that despite the wins over last UAAP season’s finalists, they did also lost to UE and FEU, which were in the bottom half of the standings in Season 85.
“Yeah [we won], but we lost to UE and FEU who, last year were in the bottom four, so it really doesn’t say anything,” he explained.
“It just shows that things will be different moving forward when we get to the UAAP.”
Prior to Adamson’s victory over Ateneo courtesy of Matthew Montebon’s game-winner, the Soaring Falcons also snagged a 62-53 victory over the Fighting Maroons last May 19.
And Adamson is doing all these without the services of star guards Jerom Lastimosa and Joem Sabandal.
For Racela, the preseason wins and losses are all just preparations for the real test come September.
“It’s our goal as member schools of the UAAP [to play here] so when we play in September, we’re prepared. We saw a lot of things on our end that we need to improve on.”
As it stands, the Soaring Falcons hold a 5-4 record in the postseason.