National University and University of Santo Tomas are looking to close out their first-round campaigns on a high note as the joint leaders face struggling foes in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament this Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Bulldogs and Growling Tigers both hold identical 5-1 records, and victories in their final first-round games will give them a crucial cushion against teams trying to catch up in the top two.
Enjoying their best first-round performance in the Final Four era, NU faces an Ateneo side that has lost two straight after an impressive 4-0 start. The Bulldogs tip off at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, UST hopes to complete its finest first-round run in a decade with a victory over an Adamson University squad that has struggled to find its rhythm after a strong preseason campaign. Their match is set for the 4:30 p.m. main game.
As the race for the Final Four heats up, NU assistant coach Vic Ycasiano stressed the importance of focus as the elimination round reaches its midpoint.
“I think these players are ripe already, and we’ve been practicing much harder kami ngayon sa ensayo. Mas intense din yung preparations at explanation namin sa kanila on what we have to do in order for them not to panic in different types of situations — and na-aaddress naman ni coach Jeff [Napa] ‘yon. Coming sa second round, mas magiging intense pa kami because I think this is it. Mas magiging intense pa kami para maging maayos pa yung lalaruin namin,” Ycasiano said after NU’s 82-78 win over De La Salle last Sunday.
(“I think the players are ready, and we’ve been working much harder in practice lately. Our preparations and explanations to them have been more intense too, so they know what to do and don’t panic in different situations — and Coach Jeff [Napa] is making sure that’s being addressed. Going into the second round, we’re going to step up even more because this is really it. We want to make sure we play even better.”)
For the Growling Tigers, recovery will be key after enduring an energy-draining triple-overtime game against the Blue Eagles last Saturday. UST, which played last Wednesday, extended its winning streak to three games following a 92-80 romp over Far Eastern University.
Ateneo, fresh from a week-long break after a grueling three-game stretch capped by a 98-89 triple-overtime loss to UST, hopes to approach its matchup with NU with renewed confidence.
“A little hard to think about right now. You know, this is the kind of game that, win or lose, you’ve got to kind of absorb it. It takes a bit of time. Fortunately, we have a week to prepare for NU,” said Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin.
“This has been one of the toughest weeks that I can remember in my time in the UAAP. We have to face La Salle, UP, and UST in six days. We were hoping to get two out of this week. You know, we came pretty bloody close. And some would say we earned it. But it’s disappointing not to get two. But we’ve got a week now to prepare for NU. So, we’ll be good. We’ll have our energy back. We’ll have our minds focused on the job. We’ll put this one behind us. And focus on really the only thing that matters now is NU,” he added.
The Blue Eagles, who squandered a 33-point lead before fending off the Green Archers and bowed to the Fighting Maroons, are aiming to regain their winning ways and remain in the top four at the end of the first round.
Meanwhile, titleholder UP and De La Salle, missing key players Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan due to injuries, clash in a rematch of last year’s Finals at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Big Dome. The first game features FEU against University of the East at 1:30 p.m.
In the women’s division, UST tries to extend its perfect run to six games in a 7 p.m. clash with Adamson University, while defending champion NU battles Ateneo for solo second at 12 noon.
Despite their unblemished 5-0 record, UST coach Haydee Ong warned her Tigresses not to be complacent against the Lady Falcons, now 2-3 under new mentor Jed Colonia.
“One game at a time pa rin. We have to prepare for Adamson muna and of course may mga Gilas players doon, sila (Elaine) Etang at si (Cheska) Apag. We have to prepare for those two on Saturday,” Ong said.
(“We’re still taking it one game at a time. We have to focus on preparing for Adamson first, and of course, they have Gilas players like Elaine Etang and Cheska Apag. We need to be ready for those two on Saturday.”)
First-year Bulldogs coach DA Olan is well aware of Ateneo’s strengths, particularly the frontline of reigning MVP Kacey dela Rosa and Sarah Makanjoula.
“Alam naman natin na yung Ateneo has been playing well now, it shows in their standings. Alam natin yung strength nila, yung Twin Towers nila. Hopefully, we come up with a good plan against them and ‘yon, kailangan against Ateneo, just like any other game, we’ll prepare hard and we’ll prepare smart, but against Ateneo, we can’t start slow and start flat like what we did (against La Salle),” Olan said.
(“We know Ateneo has been playing really well, and it shows in their standings. We’re aware of their strength, especially their Twin Towers. Hopefully, we can come up with a good plan against them. Like any other game, we’ll prepare hard and smart, but against Ateneo, we can’t afford to start slow or flat like we did against La Salle.”)
In 16-and-under action, pacesetting NU-Nazareth seeks a seven-game first-round sweep against Ateneo at 7:30 p.m., while UST and Adamson, tied at 4-2 with back-to-back title-seeking UE and FEU-Diliman, face off at 9:30 a.m.
All games will air live on the Pilipinas Live app, One Sports, and the UAAP Varsity Channel.
