Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
8 a.m. – DLSU vs UE (Women)
10 a.m. – UST vs UP (Women)
Noon – NU vs Ateneo (Women)
2:30 p.m. – NU vs Ateneo (Men)
5 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (Men)
7:30 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (Women)
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (NU) wants no slip-up in the neck-and-neck race with University of the Philippines (UP) for the coveted No. 1 seed when it tries to extend its hot tear against Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Game time is at the 2:30 p.m. with the NU Bulldogs eyeing a joint lead once again with the UP Fighting Maroons as the ADMU Blue Eagles seek to stay afloat in the equally airtight Final Four race. Adamson University (AdU) and Far Eastern University (FEU) shoot for the same bid at 5 p.m.
NU is at 6-2 on the crest of four straight wins, a game behind UP at 7-2 with a five-game spree. At their crosshairs is reigning champion De La Salle University at 5-4 while Ateneo, Adamson and FEU are tied at 4-4 with University of Santo Tomas trailing at 4-5 for the coveted fourth spot. Cellar-dweller UE remains winless with 29 straight losses (0-9 this season) but still sports a slim chance to get in.
But for the Bulldogs, the goal is more than a second straight Final Four appearance.
“Ang kino-correct namin right from the start is mindset, ‘yun ang No. 1 siyempre. We should believe in ourselves na we are capable to compete dito sa UAAP,” said coach Jeff Napa, looking to avenge an 87-76 loss to Louie Alas and the Blue Eagles in the first round.
That defeat served as the last so far for the Bulldogs, who swept the rest of their first round assignment and opened the second round with a 79-43 rout of the AdU Falcons, who absorbed their worst defeat in 12 years after also bowing to the same team, 62-25, in 2014.
“’Yung mindsetto win ‘yung magandang turnaround na nangyayari sa team but the goal is to be consistent,” added Mr. Napa, warning his wards against complacency with a good record after finishing as the top seed last year only to lose its twice-to-beat incentive against eventual champion La Salle.
If NU is out for far bigger aspirations, Ateneo wants to remain in the tightrope race along with other emerging squads looking to surprise the usual contenders down the road if given a chance.
“We’re just one game behind the teams in the upper bracket so we need to have back-to-back wins for us to be in contention again. We’re still at the lower bracket,” said Mr. Alas after snapping three losses in a row with a 75-72 squeaker over FEU. — John Bryan Ulanday