On-fire Tamaraws aim to keep momentum going vs Blue Eagles

Games Saturday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

8 a.m. – FEU-D vs DLSZ (16U)

10 a.m. – UST vs NU (Women)

12 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (Women)

3 p.m. – UST vs NU (Men)

5:30 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (Men)

MANILA, Philippines — Already with its best start in over a decade, host and surprise league-leader Far Eastern University takes on the vastly improved Ateneo in a bid to run away from the pack in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The last time the Tamaraws had a rousing start was in their championship season in 2015, also their last title hurrah, and they plan on extending it no less against the Blue Eagles in the main game of the twin-bill offering at 5:30 p.m. after the clash between National University and University of Santo Tomas at 3 p.m. 

After a 56-53 opener loss against Adamson, the charges of legendary PBA import-turned-head coach Sean Chambers shook up the UAAP order by stringing three straight wins including massive upsets of reigning champion La Salle and five-time finalist University of the Philippines to gain a solo lead at 3-1. They are ahead of the rising forces of NU and Ateneo, tied at 3-2 with the Green Archers for second place. 

But the Tamaraws are from satisfied, staying hungry to end not only an 11-year title drought but also a three-year Final Four dryspell after barely making it last year at No. 5. 

"As I told them in the locker room, good enough, never is. This is good, but this is not where we want to be at the end," said Chambers, banking on the leadership of early MVP contender Kirby Mongcopa and reigning MVP Janrey Pasaol. 

"We’re gonna learn from people in the past. It’s game by game because in the UAAP, it doesn’t matter if we had won or lost this game; the next game is just as big. You have to continue to win to make sure you get to that Final Four. At the end of the day, it’s still so early. if we had lost these past two games, we’d still be saying the same thing. It’s still early. There’s plenty of time for everyone to bounce back, ‘di ba?"

Ateneo, on the other hand, is out for redemption after losing a shot at solo lead with an 83-76 loss to archrival La Salle in their historic 100th UAAP meeting. 

That will be easier said than done though as the Blue Eagles will not only try to stop the streaking Tamaraws but will also have to deal with the absence of interim coach Louie Alas, who yesterday was whipped with a one-game suspension after incurring three infractions already for unsportsmanlike behavior.