Adamson University, still very much in the Final 4hunt, looks to keep its streak alive against the slumping University of Santo Tomas, while a resurgent De La Salle University aims to gain a share of second place when it faces the University of the East in a crucial UAAP Season 88 collegiate men’s basketball doubleheader on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena. The Falcons, currently at fifth place with a 4-4 record, trail just one game behind the Growling Tigers and the Green Archers, who are tied at 5-3.
Adamson has won three straight to stay firmly in the Final Four conversation.
Having already defeated UST, 69-59, in their first-round encounter last Oct. 18, coach Nash Racela hopes his team can stay in sync for their 2 p.m. rematch.
The Growling Tigers, meanwhile, have stumbled after their strong start, dropping their last two games following their best opening stretch in a decade.
“Kapag nakatono, may tsansa. Actually today, wala sa tono yung game namin but moving to the Wednesday game against UST, wala naman kaming choice kung hindi i-tono ulit yung laro namin,” said Racela after Adamson’s gritty 56-53 win over UE last Sunday.
“That’s something na minention kanina ni Cedrick [Manzano] about consistency — hindi puwede na ngayon, naka-tono, pero bukas hindi. 'Yon yung pinanggagalingan nung inconsistency. We have to really look for the reason why we’re very inconsistent. Especially against UST na napakalakas,” he added.
UST is coming off a tough 77-86 loss to De La Salle last Sunday, and another defeat could put its Final Four chances in jeopardy.
For the Green Archers, coach Topex Robinson is determined to keep their momentum going against the still-winless Red Warriors.
In their first-round encounter, La Salle lost guard Kean Baclaan to an injury but managed to escape with a thrilling 111-110 overtime win — a result that sparked their current three-game winning streak after a 2-3 start.
“We always have ano na parang meron kaming score to settle with UE. Every time we play UE, they always have a breakout game. That’s why we’re going to remind each other that it’s going to be a roller coaster experience for us. Making sure that we have so much respect for [UE], they’ve always came out blazing against us so it’s the way that we’re gonna honor this game,” said Robinson.
“This game has been good to us and we have to respect it and that’s the way how we’re gonna play UE on Wednesday. They’re always gonna be a deadly team when they play against La Salle, so that’s the reminder to everyone on this team,” he added.
Wello Lingolingo will serve the final game of his three-match suspension stemming from an unsportsmanlike foul late in regulation during their first-round duel, when he dove for possession and accidentally landed on Baclaan’s right knee, resulting in an MCL injury for the La Salle guard.
Meanwhile, UE coach Chris Gavina will be sidelined for the third of his four-game suspension following his profanity-laced remarks and unprofessional conduct toward game officials during a post-game interview after that La Salle-UE contest.
The Red Warriors, still winless after eight outings, hope to finally break through and pull off a major upset against the Green Archers — something they narrowly missed in their previous encounter.
In women’s basketball action, UST looks to extend its perfect run to 9-0 when it takes on Adamson at 12 noon.
Defending champion National University aims to strengthen its hold on second place against the University of the Philippines at 10 a.m., following the 8 a.m. clash between Ateneo and Far Eastern University.
De La Salle, on the other hand, seeks to stay in the Final Four race when it faces UE at 7 p.m.
Coming off a dominant 94-50 win over the Lady Archers, UST coach Haydee Ong hopes her Tigresses can set the tone early against the Lady Falcons to ease the load on her starters as the elimination round nears its end.
“We wanted to manage the time, especially doon sa mga starters ko. Coming into the second round, I know it’s not gonna be easy for us. Pahirap nang pahirap yung mga games, kaya as much as we want to preserve yung key starters namin, the lower minutes na pwede namin gamitin sila versus Adamson. Sabi nga natin na every game is talagang very crucial. We will watch the video again kung saan kami nagkamali nung first half against Adamson last round and hopefully, hindi na maulit yung mga mistakes na ’yon,” said Ong.
In their first-round meeting, the Tigresses overcame a shaky start and pulled away in the third quarter to notch a convincing 79-55 win.
