Ateneo is out to protect its pristine record when it faces dangerous University of Santo Tomas today at the start of the second-round eliminations in UAAP season 82 men’s basketball tournament.
Match is at 4 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena with the Blue Eagles staking their 7-0 slate.
Despite their flawless record, Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin seems not yet contended as he looks forward to seeing a more aggressive and consistent showing from his players.
“We try to stay focused forward, not backward,” he said. “Right now, we have a lot of basketball ahead of us in a short period of time so we don’t have the luxury to take a breath and you know, talk about any accomplishments. In our eyes, there aren’t any accomplishments yet.”
Baldwin expects to toughen up their defensive against an offense-minded Tigers loaded with sharp shooters in Renz Abando, Mark Nonoy and Renzo Subido.
In their first meeting last Sept. 11, Ateneo experienced some scary moments before pulling a 71-70 thriller.
Thirdy Ravena and Ange Kouame will again spearhead the team’s onslaught along with Matt Nieto and Will Navarro – the same guys who sparked the team to an 89-63 demolition of the University of the Philippines last Sunday.
UST, for its part, seeks a different outcome from its previous meeting against Ateneo to improve its 4-3 record at third.
The Tigers needed to regain their old fiery form after ending their first-round campaign with a 92-77 loss to the La Salle Archers.
University of the East and Adamson clash at 2 p.m. with both teams out to boost their respective semis bids.
The Warriors tote a 2-5 mark following a morale-boosting 78-72 triumph over the National University Bulldogs while the Falcons are on a three-way tie in the middle standings at 3-4 after yielding to the Far Eastern University Tamaraws 83-71. (Kristel Satumbaga)
Standings
Ateneo 7-0
UP 5-2
UST 4-3
Adamson 3-4
FEU 3-4
La Salle 3-4
UE 2-5
NU 1-6
Games Today
(Mall of Asia Arena)
2 p.m. – UE vs Adamson
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UST
