Lady Falcons take Game 1

MANILA, Philippines –  Adamson University outclassed Far Eastern University at the start of the UAAP Season 73 women’s basketball finals, 75-69, to move into the threshold of a second straight crown yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Anna Buendia and Gretchie Roque took the cudgels for the Lady Falcons with 28 and 22 points, respectively, to offset the limited numbers of MVP Analyn Almazan (nine markers) who was bothered by foul trouble all throughout.

Throwing FEU’s offensive in disarray with its pressure defense, Adamson stormed ahead to a 22-8 bulge in the first canto despite Almazan sitting on the bench with two fouls and then extended this lead to 37-21 in the second.

The Lady Tams got to within two, 56-58, behind the power plays of Allana Lim but Buendia scored eight in a 15-10 counter-attack that gave Adamson a 73-66 cushion, 1:08 left.

“The players collapsed on the defensive end, that’s why FEU was able to catch up,” AdU coach Emily Vega, whose wards will shoot for back-to-back in Game 2 on Thursday also at the Big Dome, said in Filipino.

She gave credit to Buendia (nine rebounds) and Roque (four boards) for filling in for Almazan, who only played seven minutes in the first half after committing three fouls. Almazan finished with nine points and pulled down 10 rebounds in 22 minutes overall.

“Almazan was in foul trouble but fortunately, Roque and Buendia stepped up,” Vega said.

Lim paced FEU with 17 points. while Raiza Palmera added 13 and Jocy Positos had 12 markers, eight rebounds and nine assists for last year’s runners-up.