Adamson pulled off a 68-62 upset against No.2 National University in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament with the help of their bench mob.

Didat Hanapi scored 13 points while Monti Montebon and Ced Manzano contributed 12 each, providing a total of 50 points from Adamson’s bench.

The Falcons also got 7 points each from Eli Ramos and OJ Ojarikre to secure a 6-7 record in the tournament. They need a win against University of the East and Ateneo’s loss to La Salle to force a playoff for No.4.

Coach Nash Racela acknowledged the team’s tough challenge against NU and highlighted their ability to out-rebound their opponent as a key factor in the victory.

Ojarikre’s three-point play gave Adamson a 60-52 lead with 5:14 remaining, and despite NU’s attempts to close the gap, the Falcons held on for the win.

With the win, Adamson improved to a 6-7 record while NU slid to joint second place tied with La Salle with identical 10-3 records. NU will continue to fight for a twice-to-beat advantage against top seed University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in their next game.

The Scores:

AdU (68) – Hanapi 13, Montebon 12, Manzano 12, Ramos 7, Ojarikre 7, Yerro 6, Erolon 4, Calisay 3, Magbuhos 2, Barasi 2, Colonia 0, Barcelona 0, Anabo 0, Cañete 0.

NU (62) – Baclaan 24, Figueroa 13, Lim 6, Palacielo 5, John 5, Yu 4, Malonzo 2, Manansala 2, Jumamoy 1, Padrones 0.

Quarterscores: 25-17, 40-33, 50-42, 68-62