MANILA, Philippines -- Adamson hero Monty Montebon described his improbable 3-pointer that gave the Soaring Falcons another crack at the UAAP Season 86 Final Four as "lucky."
With the Falcons trailing by one, 60-61, against the UE Red Warriors Sunday, and with their season on the line, the ball found Montebon's hands.
The guard, who is shooting 32.3% from beyond the arc this season, went to the deep left corner, stepped back and launched the 3-pointer that looked short upon release.
It, however, dropped to the bottom of the net, giving the Falcons a 63-61 lead and subsequently, the victory.
The win set up Adamson on a date with destiny, as the team forced a playoff with defending champion Ateneo on Wednesday for the last Final Four spot.
After their emotional victory, Monetebon bared that the shot was not what the team drew up during the timeout.
"I was just in the zone during the play. Coach had me, in the huddle, the play was supposed to screen for Ced [Manzano] and come off another screen but I thought the ball was going to Ced but then I got it," he told reporters.
"I didn’t know who was behind me so, I just did a step back, corner, and then — I thought I’d miss and just threw it up and got fouled, or fell down and then, lucky it went in," he added.
Adamson head coach Nash Racela also admitted that it was "tsamba," or luck.
"I like how it ended. There is no script there. UE really made it tough for us, and some would say, it was luck. I would not deny that," Racela told reporters in Filipino.
"It looked like it was really luck."
Montebon also had the last laugh over UE's Jack Cruz-Dumont.
Cruz-Dumont gave UE a one-point lead with a 3-pointer late in the game.
The Red Warrior hit the trey after Adamson's Vince Magbuhos split his freebies.
"I told [Cruz-Dumont] not hit the shot on me, because I was guarding him. He was like, 'Imma end you guys' season.' And then, I was like, okay, and then he hit the shot... he was like 'I told you,'" Montebon said.
"Then, our play happened and obviously, I hit the shot."
Racela also thanked the Warriors for the great game.
"We really had to work for [the win] and they did not give it to us in a silver platter. We really worked for it."