MANILA, Philippines – The Adamson University Baby Falcons escaped the lethal arrows of the De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers with a gritty 90-89 overtime squeaker Saturday, keeping its unblemished record intact in the 73rd UAAP Juniors basketball tournament at the San Juan Arena.  

Ivan Villondo hit the game-winning triple off  two La Salle defenders from top of the key,  with 8.3 seconds left to give Adamson the needed cushion as Junior Archer Gabriel Reyes muffed a desperation try at the buzzer.

The Falcons joined defending champion Ateneo on top of the standings with identical 2-0 cards after the Eaglets earlier devoured a hapless University of the East Junior Warriors, 90-61.

Kenneth Llauderes led the Baby Falcons with 21 points on a perfect 4-of-4 heave from three-point country, fastened by 5 rebounds, 5 steals and an assist. He was backstopped by Joseph Manlangit who turned in 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Villondo and Edsel Saludo each tallied 9 points  for the Baby Falcons.

It was a nip-and-tuck affair from the get-go as Adamson and La Salle battled for 14 deadlocks and 15 lead changes.

At one point in the third, the Junior Archers led by 9 points, 51-42. But back-to-back triples from Llaunderes to cap a fiery 12-0 windup put the Baby Falcons ahead, 54-51.  

La Salle then wrapped up the third with an 8-5 counter salvo to knot the count, 59-all, going into the final quarter.

Consecutive three-pointers by Llaunderes at the 3:50 mark of the payoff period allowed Adamson to pace the contest once more, 77-70. But  La Salle remained unfazed, as Alexdander Torres presided over a 11-4 onslaught where he scored 7, including a tying and-one play to make it 81-all with 8.2 ticks left in the clock.

The Junior Archers had the chance to seal the deal in the extra session on Reyes’ twisting lay-up which gave La Salle an 89-87 edge with 23.3 second remaining, before Villondo recovered the loose ball off an ill-advised three-point attempt by Hermoso to settle the outcome.

Five La Sallians finished in double-figures, with Reyes chalking up 21 plus 9 boards and 4 feeds. Gerome Monteiro and Joseph Tempongko fired 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Alexander and Jan Torres had 12 each.

In the first game, the National University Bullpups nipped the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs, 67-65.

Far Eastern University-FERN produced the day’s major walkover as the Baby Tamaraws gored the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Maroons to submission, 102-67 in the third game. – by Anthony Divinagracia

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