ANOTHER highly anticipated game will take place this week, with the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers facing off on Wednesday in the UAAP Season 87.
The defending champions, DLSU, look to take the solo top spot when they meet UST. The Green Archers, who are on a five-game winning streak, are aiming for their eighth victory overall.
The Green Archers are currently tied for first place with the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons (7-1 win-loss record), two games ahead of the third-place University of the East (UE) Red Warriors (5-3).
The Growling Tigers (4-4) are looking to pull away from the fifth-placed Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons (3-5) in the race for the last Final Four position.
The match between the two squads in the first round was close in the first half. However, DLSU turned up the heat and defeated UST 88-67, paced by Mike Phillips’ double-double of 12 points and 18 rebounds.
Not to mention, Phillips is currently second in the UAAP MVP race, catching up to his pal Kevin Quiambao. This rise in the rankings was fueled by his strong effort against UE, which included 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists.
With so much at stake in their second encounter, and considering the tight seeding in the rankings, both DLSU and UST will fight like there is no tomorrow.
“We all know that this season will be the hardest for us. Just like what I always tell these players, that’s what you get for being the defending champions,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson.
“Every team will comes out with guns blazing when they play you. Gone are the days that you are just going to blow by teams because there’s so much respect for you now,” the second-year mentor added.
Meanwhile, the Growling Tigers continue to face a difficult schedule. They first faced the Fighting Maroons, who failed to sustain their outstanding first three quarters before losing 73-83 to open the second round.
Before the highly anticipated matchup between DLSU and UST, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws and National University (NU) Bulldogs will begin the day, both tied at 2-6 with idle Ateneo.
The opening game of the men’s basketball tournament is critical for the Tamaraws and Bulldogs, who are only two games out of fourth place in the standings, as a defeat will be devastating to their Final Four prospects.
Tomorrow, the FEU Tamaraws will meet the NU Bulldogs at 4:00 PM, followed by the DLSU Green Archers and UST Growling Tigers at 6:00 PM, all at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
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