Falcons aching to soar high again

MANILA, Philippines — Grounded in the last two games, the Adamson Falcons seek to take off again and regain a share of the lead in UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tourney as they battle the National U Bulldogs today at the MOA Arena.

The Falcons have conceded a pair of overtime setbacks to Far Eastern and La Salle for a flat ending to their swashbuckling 5-0 start in the first round but the 4 p.m. duel with the seventh-running Bulldogs (2-5) presents the San Marcelino-based cagers with a good opportunity to resume their flight.

“We’re going to go one game at a time. We’re not going to change our mentality. We still think we belong,” said Adamson ace Sean Manganti, whose team can join idle Ateneo (6-2) at the summit with a bounce-back win to start Round 2.

The Archers (4-3), meanwhile, aim to close in on the pace as they face cellar-dwelling University of the East (1-6) at 2 p.m.

The Falcons are picking up the pieces from an ego-deflating 78-79 setback to the Archers last Saturday, a game that saw them squander a seven-point lead in regulation and enter a scoring spell in the first three minutes of extra time.

“We have to play better in crunch time. We really shot ourselves in the foot as we lost that game (to DLSU). La Salle didn’t beat us, we beat ourselves,” said Manganti.

The Bulldogs have arrested a five-game skid with an 88-61 rout of UE also Saturday and could use the upset to boost their stock.

“It’s nice to get a win, the feeling is very good. But we’re facing one of the best basketball teams in college right now (Adamson), arguably one of the best coaches – Franz Pumaren – so we have our hands full Wednesday,” said NU’s Jamike Jarin.

Fresh from their upset of AdU, the Green Archers look to move a breath away from leading Ateneo.