Ateneo and La Salle try to add another chapter to its storied rivalry when they clash before another sea of “blue and green” shirts on Sunday
in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Tipoff is at 4 p.m. with the defending champion Eagles hoping to extend their mastery over the Archers to four games since last season.
In all, Ateneo has beaten La Salle 26 times in 45 matches, but coach Tab Baldwin believes it will not give them any advantage.
Like any true-blue Ateneo fanatic, Baldwin said facing La Salle on the basketball court is always a war.
“It’s a big mission for us,” said Baldwin.
Baldwin thinks playing the Archers at this early stage presents a problem.
The Eagles saw action in Wednesday’s opener where they prevailed, 70-52, against the Adamson Falcons.
“They’ve seen us play now; we haven’t seen them yet. It’s going to be a challenge,” Baldwin said.
Looking at the brighter side, the Eagles had that chance to rub off first-game jitters and adjust into their game.
“We need to play with more composure, not to get too excited and take care of the ball better than we did (against Adamson),” said Baldwin.
Ange Kouame and Thirdy Ravena will be Baldwin’s go-to guys but Ateneo’s deep lineup also composed of Isaac Go and Matt Nieto.
La Salle, meanwhile, will be parading an all-Filipino lineup in its bid to eclipse last season’s fifth place finish where they won eight of their 14 elims matches.
Stepping up for the Archers will be Andrei Caracut, Aljun Melecio and Justine Baltazar along with Brandon Bates, Jamie Orme and James Laput.
Meanwhile, Far Eastern University and University of the East seek to bounce back from first-game defeats when they battle at 12 noon.
The Tamaraws yielded to the University of the Philippines Maroons, 61-55, while the Warriors succumbed to the University of Santo Tomas, 95-82. (Kristel Satumbaga)
