Falcons dump Stags, near semis

MANILA, Philippines - Jericho Cruz sizzled with 37 points while Rodney Brondial fired 20 markers as streaking Adamson dethroned holder San Sebastian, 88-79, to move a victory away from the Final Four of the 2012 Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) at the Filoil Arena yesterday.

Cruz, a prized recruit from Guam, and Brondial, a lanky frontliner, combined in a telling 17-7 fourth-quarter run for the Falcons, who have won four straight in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 phases to earn a crack at the semis.

In the second game, UAAP runner-up University of Santo Tomas squandered a 14-point lead but hung tough to beat a Kevin Alas-less Letran, 78-73, and arrange a showdown with the Falcons for the Luzon-Metro Manila bracket plum and the fourth and last semis berth.

Already through to the round-robin Final Four are seeded Ateneo and San Beda, the UAAP and NCAA champions, respectively, and Cesafi titlist Southwestern U, which ruled the Southern Islands qualifiers.

“Good thing about this tournament is that it helps the players hone their skills and develop confidence and I think we’re achieving that,” said Adamson coach Leo Austria in Filipino.

The Falcons had to go through the bottom rungs of the Luzon-MM qualifiers, but proved up to the task and hurdled Mapua 88-79 to clinch a place in the Sweet 16. They sustained their fiery form in the knockout-format stage with triumphs over Jose Rizal, 79-54, and La Salle, 63-56, and then the 2011 PCCL rulers Stags.

“Because of the first three games, our players improved their confidence. I told them it’s all a matter of believing in the system,” said Austria.

Cruz shot 12-of-17 from the floor, making four of his seven tries from the three-point area, and added seven rebounds, four assists and one steal.