Red-hot DLSU faces listless UE; UST battles tough Adamson

Games on Wednesday
(SM Mall of Asia Arena)
8 a.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (Women)
10 a.m. – NU vs UP (Women)
noon – UST vs ADU (Women)
2 p.m. – UST vs ADU (Men)
4:30 p.m. – UE vs DLSU (Men)
7 p.m. – UE vs DLSU (Women)

UNDERMANNED but red-hot De La Salle University (DLSU) faces a familiar foe in the listless University of the East (UE) to shore up its ascent to the top in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Game time is at 4:30 p.m. with the blazing DLSU Green Archers looking for their fourth straight win against the same team that started their streak in a bid to catch titleholder University of the Philippines (UP) at second place. University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Adamson University (4-4) clash at 2 p.m.

At 5-3, La Salle sits at joint third with Santo Tomas with a win propelling it to a piece of the coveted No. 2 seed for a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.

The Green Archers in the first round had their backs against the wall outside the Top 4 with a 2-3 slate only to score a much-needed 111-110 overtime win over UE.

That win came with a dear cost though as Kean Baclaan went down with a season-ending MCL injury to follow suit to Mason Amos with the similar injury against National University the game prior.

The same game resulted in a three-game suspension of UE guard Wello Lingolingo after his unsportsmanlike foul upon diving on Mr. Baclaan’s knee and the four-game ban of UE mentor Chris Gavina due to his post-game rants marred by expletives on the officiating.

And while the Green Archers could have bowed their heads, melted down and sank from there, the development only fueled their hearts to keep pushing to now stabilize a title retention bid with an incomplete crew.

“We’ve been losing players and that has been one of our drives, and it’s just so fortunate or blessed to have players always being ready to contribute,” said the embattled coach Topex Robinson.”

“We always talk about ‘we, us and ours.’ It’s always about what you could bring into the bigger piece of the pie sa team. You lose some players, you gain some players.”

Sans Messrs. Baclaan and Amos, the hoopers from Taft indeed found new heroes in Vhoris Marasigan, JC Macalalag and Earl Abadam who have complemented Jacob Cortez and Mike Phillips in their streak — the longest now in the UAAP — that included a huge 72-69 on UP to end the first round.

“It’s just everybody finding their way to contribute to this team. You didn’t come into this program by accident. You came here because we saw something in you. It’s about just being called and being ready. It’s just fun to watch those guys respond to the challenge,” added Mr. Robinson.

UE marches into battle with two warriors down as well as Mr. Lingolingo and Mr. Gavina serve their second suspension in a must-win battle to keep what’s left of any of its semis hopes alive at 0-8.

Mathematically with only NU and UP sporting six wins, the Red Warriors could still catch a playoff bus but only if they sweep all their remaining games. — John Bryan Ulanday