The Adamson Soaring Falcons and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons are two teams that have never met in a Final Four showdown.
And the Soaring Falcons have a lot going their way when they meet the Fighting Maroons 3:30 p.m. tomorrow in thefirst-everver Semifinals encounter in the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament at 3:30 p.m. today the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Franz Pumaren-coached Falcons swept the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in their elimination round encounters with the help of key players Jerrick Ahanmisi and Sean Manganti.
The Falcons are coming off a 56-82 loss to the Far Eastern University Tamaraws in a game where Ahanmisi and Manganti were rested because of sickness and injury.
Against the Fighting Maroons, the Falcons will be a complete team with Ahanmisi and Manganti back in action.
“It worked to our advantage, with one week to prepare for the Final Four,” said Pumaren on the coaching staff’s decision to meet FEU without their two key players.
On the other hand, the Fighting Maroons will have momentum with them after their 97-81 win over La Salle ended a 21-year semis drought last week.
UP coach Bo Perasol said that realization on their Final Four win is finally sinking in on his players.
“They were able to grasp the idea of being able to make history.”
Defensively, the Falcons are expected to limit UP to below 70 points, since they allow their foes an average of 70.6 points. UP, on the other hand, allows its opponents to score an average of 77.5 points per game.
On Sunday, the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles will clash with Far Eastern University at 3:30 p.m. in another Final Four matchup at the Araneta Coliseum.