UAAP S74: UE vs ADU

History Lesson:
The Falcons jumped out to a big lead and never looked back, starting the game with an 11-0 run that the Red Warriors could not get rid of, forcing them into catch-up mode for the rest of the game. Despite entering halftime up 39-27, the Falcons continued to pile it on, ballooning UE's deficit to as high as 75-40, before the third-stringers entered the game. Ultimately, the score was settled at 85-54. Paul Zamar came off the UE bench to lead all scorers with 18 points but it was far from enough. On the other side, Lester Alvarez dropped 16 including four triples, ending a mini-slump for the spitfire point guard.  (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• At 2-9, the UE Red Warriors have nothing but the spoiler role in mind, as they try to make life difficult for the Final Four contending teams.
• A game ahead of FEU for the second twice-to-beat advantage (assuming Ateneo does not sweep) at 8-3, the Adamson Falcons want to make sure they keep ahead of the Tams, while getting momentum heading into their final assignment of the season, a rematch of their season opener with Ateneo

UE Stat to Watch : After two games of shooting an average of 41.04 percent, 32.24 percent from the perimeter, UE saw their numbers dip drastically against the UST defense to 30.51 percent from the field and just 21.05 percent from the perimeter. Considering how Adamson is tops at defending the perimeter, those numbers may even go lower in this game.
UE Player to Watch : Seldom-used big man RR De Leon gave his squad a nice lift with five points and six rebounds in 14 minutes against UST. If the Falcons will look to establish Austin Manyara's offense like they did versus UP, they'll need De Leon and Chris Javier to try to contain the big man.

ADU Stat to Watch : Adamson continues to shut opponents down in the second round, holding opponents to a league best 58 points. UE was competitive versus Ateneo and La Salle because they at the very least hit the 70 point margin, so if the Falcons defense holds, the Red Warriors might be in for a long afternoon.
ADU Player to Watch : The UP defense keyed in on Alex Nuyles, preventing him from scoring in double digits for the first time this season. Nuyles still managed to contribute in other ways though, hauling down 10 rebounds for the second straight game and dishing out a career-high seven assists. He'll likely look to get back on track versus UE in this game.


Prediction: Adamson Soaring Falcons