With only a couple of games left in their UAAP Season 88 campaign, the Adamson Soaring Falcons were on the outside looking in. Five wins and seven losses are rarely a guarantee for a Final Four appearance, but the chaotic nature of Season 88 opened the door for the Soaring Falcons and a few other teams that would have had their sights set on Christmas instead of a potential December playdate. 

Those aspirations, however, were contingent on Adamson’s last two games. And the Soaring Falcons passed their first test, though not by much. 

The DLSU Green Archers were also playing with some level of desperation, and it was evident with their relentless rebounding, which fortunately for Adamson, did not materialize into points or made free throws. It was a close affair and a testy one too, but in the end, the Soaring Falcons pulled through. 

Now, Adamson is within striking distance of a Final Four spot, but they will need to complete one last assignment and hope that a few things fall into their favor. Beating the Ateneo Blue Eagles is one thing, but if the Green Archers and the FEU Tamaraws drop their remaining games, then things could get interesting. 

When the Blue Eagles and the Soaring Falcons square off on Sunday, it will be the first step in an uphill climb for the former and a must-win season-finale for the latter. Both teams last squared off early in Season 88, when Ateneo looked like the Blue Eagles of old. 

Circumstances, though, have changed as Ateneo has gone through a slump and a slew of injuries, while Adamson has been bent but not broken. But when they square off on Sunday, expect things to be a slugfest.

Both teams are ranked in the bottom in terms of scoring and efficiency. It certainly makes the margins much smaller, so a team like the Soaring Falcons should focus on maximizing possessions. They’re pretty much tied with the Blue Eagles in terms of rebounds per game (around 44), but Adamson turns the ball over more (14.9 turnovers per game versus Ateneo’s 12.5). The Blue Eagles are a team that likes to pounce on mistakes and the Soaring Falcons would not want to fall into their trap. 

Offensively, ball movement and more points from their starters could be critical as Adamson is below league-average in these categories. Cedric Manzano is the Soaring Falcons’ MVP this year, but his supporting cast needs to catch up because Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin will find a way to take him out of the game before Manzano even realizes it. After all, this golden opportunity does not have Adamson’s name on it. It has to be earned.

Nonetheless, the Adamson Soaring Falcons will be happy to take this chance at a Final Four spot after what has been a wild, wild UAAP Season 88. This is nothing new to them, as they’ve figured in a handful of close calls and play-offs for some postseason action. It’s made them one of the more dangerous teams at this time of the year, and fortune favors those who fight the hardest in a game of inches.