After a long two-week FIBA break, second round action of the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament returns with a bang on Thursday, November 17 with a loaded quadruple-header at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Adamson (4-5) vs La Salle (3-6)
At the 11 am curtain-raiser, the Adamson Soaring Falcons aim to improve further their Final Four chances as they take on the struggling La Salle Green Archers.
Prior to the league’s two-week break, Adamson, which played without its star point guard Jerom Lastimosa and sharpshooting forward Vince Magbuhos due to injuries, grinded out a tough 56-55 comeback win against the cellar-dwelling UST Growling Tigers, thanks to the heroics of big man Cedrick Manzano.
Meanwhile, La Salle, which also missed the services of its high-scoring guard Schonny Winston in its previous outing due to a calf injury, absorbed its fourth straight defeat after falling to its archrival Ateneo in a lopsided affair.
As the Green Archers try to stay in Final Four contention, look for Winston, Kevin Quiambao, Evan Nelle, and Mike Phillips, among others, to step up big in this surefire exciting Thursday morning matchup.
NU (7-3) vs UE (4-6)
In the second game at 1 pm, the NU Bulldogs look to keep their hold of the No. 2 spot as they collide with the UE Red Warriors.
Like Adamson, NU, led by team captain Patrick Yu, is coming off a huge come-from-behind victory before the two-week break, rising back from a 19-point deficit to stun the FEU Tamaraws for its second straight triumph.
UE, on the other hand, suffered a 14-point beatdown at the hands of the top-seeded UP Fighting Maroons in its last game despite a career-best performance from rookie big man Gani Stevens, who erupted for 23 points.
UP (9-1) vs FEU (4-6)
At 4:30 pm, the league-leading UP Fighting Maroons gun for their seventh straight win as they go up against the FEU Tamaraws.
Thanks to the monster outing of reigning UAAP Player of the Week Malick Diouf, who delivered a career-high 23 points, along with 15 rebounds, UP made quick work of UE and became the first team to secure at least a playoff game for a Final Four spot in Season 85.
On the other side, the Bryan Sajonia-led FEU, which is also trying to remain in the hunt for a Final Four spot, failed to extend its red-hot winning streak to five games as it wasted a double-digit advantage to NU.
Ateneo (6-3) vs UST (1-8)
Finally, the Ateneo Blue Eagles look to make it two in a row as they face the UST Growling Tigers in the 6:30 pm nightcap.
With five players scoring in double figures, led by Gilas Pilipinas big man and reigning UAAP MVP Ange Kouame, Ateneo proved too much for La Salle and bounced back big from its shocking second-round loss to NU.
Look for the Blue Eagles to rely on another well-balanced attack in this showdown as they try to close in on the Fighting Maroons and the Bulldogs and boost their bid for a twice-to-beat Final Four bonus.
UST, meanwhile, still couldn’t get over the hump, squandering its 19-point second-half lead to Adamson as it dropped its eighth straight outing despite another 22-point explosion by Nic Cabañero.
