MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
There was a lot banking on University of the East’s (UE) matchup against Adamson in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
Fittingly, Wello Lingolingo went for the bank at the last second.
“Coach Jack [Santiago] says that I should not look for my game [rather] let the game come to me so that’s what I did,” Lingolingo said after knocking the double-clutch game-winner off the glass for a 63-62 victory over Adamson on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Lingolingo rebounded a bad miss by Nico Mulingtapang with just three seconds remaining and double-pumped a jumper against the defense of Adamson’s Joshua Yerro to hit the game winner at the buzzer and extend UE’s winning run to five games.
“I wasn’t taking forced shots so when I couldn’t hit from afar, I looked for a way to contribute to the team,” the third-year guard said. “I did not expect to nail the game-winning shot. It’s just that I was there and I just made it.”
By escaping the Falcons, who at one point led by as many as 10 points, the Warriors are heading into the second half of the season at third place—at least—anchored on their best start since 2014.
And if La Salle absorbs a second loss in their Finals rematch against University of the Philippines at press time, the Warriors could see themselves at the No. 2 seat.
“Ever since, I’ve been telling the kids that this is the batch of the team that I think and honestly believe can beat other teams,” Santiago said. “It so happened that we had two setbacks but I still believe in my players.”
“Maybe the best thing that happened to us was when we played [the defending champion] and luckily we beat them so [the players] are feeling that we can compete. Since then, we have continued to work and face every challenge coming to us,” he added.
Precious Momowei was still an unstoppable force for UE with another all-around performance of 14 points, 11 rebounds and three steals after barely being subbed out.
“It was a good win. First of all shout out to Wello, he saved my ass in the game,” Momowei said.
Devin Fikes, one of the cogs who kept the trailing Warriors afloat in the first half, had 11 points while game hero Lingolingo and Ethan Galang, who did not miss and brought UE within just a possession at the end of the third quarter, contributed 10 points and five rebounds each. Lingolingo also had three steals.
“In my last shot, it’s like I was just at the right place at the right time. I just got the rebound and when I saw the time, I shot it because I couldn’t do anything else so luckily it went in,” Lingolingo, who joked about practicing the double clutch shot in friendly one-on-ones with his teammates, said.
This marked the second time Adamson blew a big lead this season and ended up in defeat.
The Falcons led unbeaten University of the Philippines by 22 before bowing to the Maroons.
Adamson has now lost for the fourth time in seven matches.
Mathew Montebon led the Falcons with 12 points, four assists. INQ