Formerly of the UP Integrated School Fighting Maroons, Adamson’s Ray Torres was the heartbreaker for his alma mater Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Ray Torres was once the pride of the UP Integrated School when he played for State U during his high school years.
But now, as a player for Adamson in the collegiate level, he found himself on the other side of the court when the Falcons collided with his alma mater Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Torres delivered the dagger right in the heart of his former school when he swished the game-winning trey that sealed the Falcons' 62-59 victory with less than three seconds remaining in the match.
[RELATED STORY: Racela lauds Adamson's maturity in upset of reigning champ UP in UAAP men's basketball]
He coolly carried Adamson on his back in crunch time amid the roaring fans in the stands.
Being one of the go-to scorers for UPIS back in the day, Torres embraced the spotlight against his former school.
“Sanay naman na akong makalaban 'yong UP pero masaya lang na naglalaro ako para sa Adamson. At the same time, 'yong crowd ng UP, which is 'yong dati kong bahay, parang extra motivation lang,” Torres said after the match.
“Tsini-cheer [ng fans] 'yong kabila kasi dati doon ako, eh. Extra motivation lang [para sa akin].”
Ray Torres makes the most of his chance against UP
Moving into Adamson, Torres has since evolved into a role player for head coach Nash Racela.
Flanked with bigger stars like Monty Montebon, Cedrick Manzano and Matty Erolon, Torres is biding his time to get the ball and work for his spots.
“Dati, noong nasa UP ako, noong top scorer ako, nasa akin lahat ng bola. This time, medyo mas kailangan kong mag-work off ball,” Torres said.
“So, laging na kay Matty, na kay Monty 'yong bola, so kailangan kong maghanap ng way para maka-score ng wala sa akin 'yong bola,” he added.
[RELATED STORY: UAAP commissioner Jai Reyes gives initial assessment on bizarre 4-on-5 in Adamson-UP game]
Ray Torres (right) emerges as the late-game hero for Adamson in its shocker over UP in the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball Wednesday, Sept. 24. | Photo: UAAP
Patience seemed to pay off for Torres as he finished with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting to go along with two rebounds, one assist and two steals against his alma mater.
Now with the rest of the season still ahead of them, he will be hoping to make an even bigger impact.
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Luisa Morales is a sportswriter with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team and mixed martial arts.