DEFENDING champion De La Salle seeks to reclaim the solo lead as it faces University of Santo Tomas today (Wednesday) in the UAAP Season 87 collegiate men’s basketball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Green Archers, who now hold the current active winning streak with five, are gunning for their eighth victory overall in the 6 p.m. duel with the Growling Tigers.
De La Salle is currently tied with University of the Philippines in first place at 7-1, two games ahead of third-running University of the East (5-3).
UST, sporting a 4-4 record, is eyeing to gain the needed separation over the fifth-running Adamson University (3-5) in the race for the last Final Four spot.
After bowing to the Fighting Maroons, where they failed to sustain their strong first three quarters before dropping a 73-83 decision to open the second round, the Growling Tigers are up for another tough battle in another last season’s finalist in the Green Archers.
“We all know that this season will be the hardest for us. Just like what I always tell these players, that’s what you get for being the defending champions. Every team will comes out with guns blazing when they play you,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
“Gone are the days that you are just going to blow by teams because there’s so much respect for you now,” the second-year Green Archers mentor added.
Far Eastern University and National University, which are locked in a three-way tie at 2-6 along with idle Ateneo, cross paths in the other men’s game.
Two games out of the No. 4 spot, the 4 p.m. match is very crucial for the Tamaraws and the Bulldogs as a loss with give a major blow to their Final Four hopes.
De La Salle has been on a roll after absorbing its lone loss of the season.
The Green Archers, with Mike Phillips leading the way as reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao was under the weather, avenge their first round loss to the Red Warriors with a masterful 77-68 win last Saturday.
UST has not beaten De La Salle since scoring a narrow 81-79 second round victory on Oct. 11, 2015. The Growling Tigers have lost their last 15 meetings with the Green Archers.
If FEU’s 62-60 win over NU in the first round was a gauge, expect another close battle between the two teams.
“Everybody who got a chance to get at us when we were younger, now it’s time for us to turn the table. I believe that. I believe we’re going to be a problem for everybody moving forward,” said Tamaraws head coach Sean Chambers.
“We’re starting to see the light of some of our offense and some of our schemes. I just feel like these guys are just getting there and I keep saying that it’s going to take one of our older kuyas to get over the hill for the young guys,” one of the greatest imports to grace the PBA continued.
The Tamaraws opened the second round with a 76-72 overtime win over the Falcons, while the Bulldogs failed to repeat their first round magic against the Blue Eagles with a 68-70 defeat.
Opening the gameday will be two Junior High School Boys’ Basketball games.
Second-running FEU-Diliman looks to take its fifth straight win, facing the same UST team it had just beaten 10 days ago via a 90-83 decision.
At 12 noon, league-leading University of the East will stake its 7-0 record against De La Salle-Zobel to open its second round campaign.
Games Wednesday
(SM Mall of Asia Arena)
10 a.m. – FEU-D vs UST (JHS)
12 p.m. – UE vs DLSZ (JHS)
4 p.m. – NU vs FEU (Men)
6 p.m. – DLSU vs UST (Men)
