By Waylon Galvez
Games Today (Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City)
2 p.m. – UST vs FEU
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP
With two big wins the past week, Far Eastern University is expected to play inspired basketball when it plays dangerous University of Santo Tomas today kicking off the second round of elims in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Ridiculed after an embarrassing defeat to University of the East, the Tamaraws got back on the winning track in style – handing the Adamson Falcons their first defeat in six games via an 88-85 overtime win.
To prove their win over the Falcons was no fluke, they clipped the Ateneo Eagles, 63-60, last Wednesday to improve to 5-2 – the same win-loss mark of the reigning champions.
Match is set 2 p.m. with the Tamaraws of coach Nash Racela out extend their winning run to four games.
The Eagles can redeem themselves from that shock defeat when they go up against the University of the Philippines Maroons at 4 p.m.
Racela said their latest success would amount to nothing if they can’t come up with the same energy against UST – a team that handed the Tams a 76-74 defeat during their first round meeting last September 12.
“That’s what I’ve been telling the players. We should come up with the same mentality when we won three straight,” said Racela. “We can’t be complacent, because UST is coming off big wins too the past week, so it’s going to be an exciting game.”
“They beat us in the first round, but this is different. I hope we learned our lessons from that loss,” added Racela, who will have forward Arvin Tolentino back in the lineup after he missed the game against Ateneo due to a one-game suspension.
UST, on the other hand, has won its first back-to-back wins this season under new mentor Aldin Ayo – as it downed University of the Philippines, 86-72, and University of the East, 80-66.
Aside from Arvin Tolentino, Racela will rely heavily on the all-around performance of Nigerian center Prince Orizu, Richard Escoto, Ino Comboy, JR Parker and Huber Cani.
UST will continue to miss injured Cameroonian center Steve Akomo but will rely on the leaderships of rookie sensation CJ Cansino, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds against UP, Renzo Subido.
BULLDOGS WIN
Meanwhile, National University closed out its first round campaign with an impressive 88-61 win over University of the East. The Bulldogs improved to 2-5.
