ADAMSON University star guard Jerom Lastimosa has done some heavy lifting in the home stretch of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 men’s basketball tournament as the Soaring Falcons caught the last bus to the Final Four.
Lastimosa, who braved a right foot injury in the second round, towed his team to the Final Four for the first time since 2018 following a thrilling 80-76 win against De La Salle in a win-or-go-home duel for the last playoff spot.
For his heroic, Lastimosa was unanimously voted as the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Player of the Week presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and San Miguel Corp.
The 5-foot-10 combo guard poured half of his 22 points in a telling third quarter rally where he blanked De La Salle by his lonesome when he scored 11 straight points that gave the Soaring Falcons the lead for the first time, 57-56.
And as if that game-changing spree that turned the Soaring Falcons’ fate around from the brink of elimination wasn’t enough, Lastimosa came through in the clutch anew by calmly sinking the insurance freebies for a 79-76 cushion in the last 12 seconds.
The Soaring Falcons held on from there as Lastimosa climbed to the stands much to the hype of the wild crowd as the San Marcelino-based squad, in the process, spoiled a gigantic Ateneo-De La Salle semifinal showdown.
“We’re happy because it’s almost four years before we made it to the Final Four and now that we’re there, we’ll grab that opportunity,” said Lastimosa, who added six assists and one steal to his decent 4-of-10 shooting from downtown.
Adamson University faces top-seeded and twice-to-beat Ateneo in the semifinals Wednesday. Reigning champion and No. 2 University of the Philippines and No. 3 National University clash in the other semifinal.