A flurry of blistering runs bridging the first and second quarters was all the Archers needed to shut the lights out of the Falcons, seal their eighth straight victory and put some more distance between them and the chasing pack.
A punishing full-court press coupled by inside incursions by the dazzling duo of Mark Cardona and Adonis Sta. Maria started it all for the La Salle as it erected leads as high as 16 points.
And when the exciting Mike Cortez got his rhythm going, La Salle coach Franz Pumaren sent in his shock troopers in the third period for the demolition job.
"I may sound a non-conformist but we still committed lapses in this game," said La Salle coach Franz Pumaren. "It’s just that we found ourselves playing well when Adamson is playing really bad."
Picking up from where Cardona and Sta. Maria, who combined for 30 points, started, Cortez exploded for 10 of his 12 points in a series of blistering runs for a 69-41 third quarter advantage, a lead the Falcons could only cut to 17 before losing steam in the homestretch.
It was Adamson’s fifth defeat against three wins.
In the other game, James Yap unleashed another spectacular offensive game as University of the East got back at UP, 74-71, to extend its winning streak to six.
A week after torching the Santo Tomas Tigers with 36 points, Yap scattered 30 points against the Maroons, including four of UE’s last six points. The victory was the sixth in eight games for the winningest squad in the UAAP while the loss was the fifth in eight games for the 1986 champions.