By Waylon Galvez
Games Today
(Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City)
2 p.m. – NU vs UE
4 p.m. – FEU vs Adamson
When it plays second-ranked Adamson today, Far Eastern University needs to play with a sense of urgency if it wants to forge a playoff for the last semis berth in the 81st UAAP men’s basketball.
That’s because Tamaraws are up against a team raring to go all the way to the Promised Land this time after a failed campaign last season.
FEU coach Olsen Racela knows what will be the consequence if they can’t repeat their 88-85 win over the Falcons in the first round and that’s why he challenged his boys to stay focused and play as hard as they can right from the start.
“We know the consequence, the players knows it that’s why we’re going all out for this game to at least have a chance to fight for a spot in the semifinals,” said Racela.
Motivation is not much of a problem since the Tamaraws are coming off a two-game winning run that improved their record to 7-6.
“We still have a chance and it’s in our hands,” said Racela yesterday. “We hope to make the Final Four and this last game is going to be crucial for us to make it to the next round.”
Despite their success of late they still need to beat the Falcons to draw level with La Salle and forge a knockout match for the last semis berth with the Taft-based school.
But if Adamson prevails over FEU in their 4 p.m. encounter, La Salle will gain the No. 4 spot and faces No. 1 Ateneo in another mouth-watering semis series.
The other team in the semis is University of the Philippines which ended 21 years of futility after downing La Salle, 97-81 last Wednesday.
An FEU win would create a three-way tie with UP and La Salle at 8-6.
If that happens, the Maroons will make it outright due to their superior quotient over the Green Archers and the Tamaraws.
Adamson, on the other hand, is already assured of the No. 2 spot and a twice-to-beat advantage against UP in the Final Four regardless of the result, but Falcons mentor Franz Pumaren wants his team to go all out and get a win for their confidence going to the next round.
“No matter what we still need to play our best game. I told the players the importance of winning a game entering the Final Four. It will help us, our confidence if we get a win,” said Pumaren.
Meantime, NU and UE clash in the first game at 2 p.m. as the two teams shoot for a win to end their elimination round campaign.
