Rivals Ateneo, La Salle face separate foes; aim to fortify Final 4 bids

Defending champion Ateneo tries to extend its winning streak while bitter rival La Salle aims to bounce back from a disappointing loss on Saturday in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum. The Blue Eagles face the winless University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the final chapter of the "Battle of Katipunan" at 2 p.m. before the Green Archers take on the dangerous National U Bulldogs at 4 p.m.

Since a crushing 66-63 loss to La Salle on July 24, Ateneo won its last three games including a gritty 80-73 victory over University of the East on the final day of the first round last Sunday. But for coach Norman Black, consistency will be the key in the final stretch of the elimination round if the Blue Eagles want to complete a rare three-peat. "We're in a pretty good position," said Black. "We just have to continue to get better. That's the key in the UAAP, the team that gets better throughout the course of the season is going to win the championship." Veteran guard and offensive ace Eric Salamat scored 23 points as the Loyola-based squad fended off the Paul Lee-led Warriors' spirited challenge. Kirk Long and sophomore guard Juami Tiongson also figured in a victory that saw the Eagles rally from several six-point deficits in the second half. While the Eagles are on a roll, the Maroons are still trying to nail their first win after a sorry loss to the Bulldogs last Saturday. In that match, UP wasted a commanding 22-point third quarter lead as NU rallied to score a stunning 70-66 win that brought several players and acting coach Boyet Fernandez to near tears. Ateneo won convincingly in its first round meeting with UP, 78-53, on August 5. La Salle, on the other hand, tries to bounce back from a heart-breaking 70-68 loss to Adamson last Sunday. The Archers, who wasted an eight-point third quarter lead to absorb their third loss, will be led by a young but talented crew composed of Joshua Webb, Simon Atkins, Sam Marata and Maui Villanueva. They are in fourth spot with four wins and three losses. NU handed one of La Salle's losses when the Bulldogs escaped with a 59-55 decision in a low-scoring encounter last July 15 thanks to superb performances by Cameroonian big man Emmanuel Mbe, Kokoy Hermosisima and Mervin Baloran. – JVP, HGS, GMANews.TV