Lady Falcons rally to edge Blue Eagles

MANILA, Philippines -- The scrappy Adamson Lady Falcons stormed back from 13 points down and stunned the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 77-72, in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Adamson withstood big performances by Ateneo's Junize Calago and Sarah Makanjoula to rise to 3-1 in the season, tied for second with the University of Santo Tomas.

Elaine Etang led Adamson with 15 points, five rebounds, two steals and an assist, but she shot 4-of-20 from the field. Kim Adeshina chipped in 13 markers and five boards.

After blowing a 13-point lead, Ateneo took a seven-point advantage in the fourth quarter, 66-59, after a layup by Calago.

The Lady Falcons then overtook the Blue Eagles with a 12-5 run capped by a pair of free throws by Etang.

The Katipunan-based cagers then called a timeout, but Kailah Oani turned the ball over. On the other end, Kim Limbago danced from way beyond and pulled up, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer to put the San Marcelino-based squad ahead for good, 74-70.

In the next possession, Calago missed a corner triple, and a split from the line by Etang made it 75-70.

Makanjuola punched in a deuce, but a pair of freebies by Kat Agojo iced the game and set the final score.

“Sabi ko lang sa kanila, if we really wanted to be part of that elusive Final Four, we have to play the whole game,” Adamson head coach Ryan Monteclaro said after the game.

“We were down how many… against arguably the best women’s basketball player in Kacey dela Rosa. It’s a total collective effort. We played 14 players, even the single player, they contributed. Lahat ng pumasok,” he added.

A strong start by Ateneo saw them lead by 11, 15-4, at the start of the game.

This continued on until the third quarter, where the Blue Eagles erected a 13-point lead, 44-31, before the Soaring Falcons slowly started to hit shots while making the stops.

A 3-pointer by Jam Meniano gave Adamson the lead, 58-55, heading into the fourth quarter, setting the stage for the finish.

Four-foot-11 guard Kim Mazo had 11 points, three assists and a rebound in 13 minutes of play. She had a +- of +27.

Calago had a double-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals for the Blue Eagles. Makanjuola added 21 points and seven rebounds, while reigning Most Valuable Player dela Rosa had 10 markers and 18 boards in 34 minutes.

Ateneo dropped to 2-2 in the season.

Adamson will be facing National University on Wednesday, while Ateneo will take on Far Eastern University next Sunday. Both games will be at the Big Dome.