ADAMSON University is fast proving to be the dark horse of the 87th UAAP basketball tournament.

“It definitely helps us with this game, it really helps us. Actually, even before the game, I told the players NU is one of those teams that just play hard regardless and that’s something that we could emulate,” Soaring Falcons coach Nash Racela said after his team nipped National University 60-58 last Wednesday on Joshua Yerro’s buzzer-beating alley-oop basket with 0.3 left.

“Sabi nga namin NU and Ateneo, those two teams are ideal teams that we should always watch kasi they play consistently regardless of if they’re down or up, pare-pareho laro nila, something that we’re trying to learn,” he added.

The thrilling win enabled the San Marcelino-based crew to improve to 3-2 for solo fourth.

“Of course, masaya kasi pumasok. Thank God, dahil sa kanya kaya pumasok. Before pa lang nag-time out, sabi ni coach Gilbert (Lao) na stay lang kami kasi baka mag-extra five minutes. Pero sabi ko kay (Jhon) Calisay, wala nang five minutes ito,” Yerro said. “Tiwala ka lang, papasok ito.

“Nagtiwala lang ako sa sarili ko kasi iyong binigay ni coach Gilbert na play, nagampanan ko iyon na akin talaga iyon.”

For Racela, his troops are aching to prove their naysayers and unbelievers wrong.

“I think iyong belief of other people in us should not matter sa amin. Ang importante, my question to them always, ‘naniniwala ba kayo’ kasi iyon ang pinaka-importante ‘di ba? So, whatever other people might think ang importante is us. Within our circle we’re really believing that’s doable,” he added.

“Sana nga slowly, we as a group, sana we’re starting to believe that we could achieve good things, nice things this season but too early I guess.”