By Waylon Galvez
Games Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. – La Salle vs Adamson
4 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo
Defending champion Ateneo and Far Eastern University collide in a crucial encounter minus their star players while Adamson tries to avenge a first round loss to La Salle today in the 81st UAAP men’s basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Exactly 10 days after the Tamaraws outlasted the Blue Eagles, 63-60, the two schools go at it again as Ateneo and FEU battle at 4 p.m. but without key players in Thirdy Ravena for the Katipunan-based team and Arvin Tolentino for the Morayta dribblers.
Adamson, on the other hand, hopes give coach Franz Pumaren his first win against his former team, which he powered to five titles, in the 2 p.m. game.
Adamson and Ateneo share the lead with identical 6-2 cards, while tied at 5-3 for third and fourth are La Salle and FEU, ahead of University of Santo Tomas (4-4), UP (3-5), National University (2-6) and University of the East (1-7).
Since he took over Adamson two seasons ago, Pumaren has not won against the Green Archers.
Last week, La Salle handed Adamson its second straight defeat this year with a 79-78 overtime win.
Adamson has checked its two-game skid as the Falcons – in the eyes of Pumaren – were consistent for 40 minutes of play on both ends to edge the Bulldogs 69-58 last Wednesday.
That kind of consistency is what Pumaren wants from his team as they face the Green Archers – a rematch of last season’s Final Four as twice-to-beat La Salle won 82-75 to eliminate Adamson.
“We have to avoid lapses down the stretch,” said Pumaren.
“If you look our last game against La Salle, we completely dominated the stats. It is such that you know, breaks of the game and some lapses towards (the end) during the course of the game.”
“But it’s a learning experience, the first time that we’re considered seeded team. Whether we like it our not, teams looked up on us in a different manner already,” Pumaren added.
La Salle is coming off a 79-59 victory against UE that extended its win streak to three, and coach Louie Gonzalez wants his players sustain the kind of energy and effort against Adamson.
Ravena, who upon review, was assessed a one-game suspension for his foul on UP’s Paul Desiderio in last Sunday’s 83-66 victory.
Tolentino has been suspended for two games as a repeat offender.
After he served a one-game suspension for his disqualifying foul on Adamson’s Sean Manganti last month, Tolentino was again punished from the game against UST when he smacked Zach Huang in the face.
The Tamaraws lost to the Tigers 78-70 that snapped a three-game win streak.
