Bulldogs, Falcons aim to stay in UAAP leaderboard
Games Saturday
(Blue Eagle Gym)
8 a.m. – Ateneo vs UST (16U)
10 a.m. – FEU vs AdU (Women)
12 p.m. – DLSU vs NU (Women)
2:30 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (Men)
6 p.m. – NU vs AdU (Men)
MANILA, Philippines — National University and Adamson tussle in a battle of revelation squads to stay in the leaderboard at the start of their UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball second-round campaign Saturday at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Both squads, parading young units after the graduation of their core, march into battle brimming with momentum and confidence from an impressive first-round run that catapulted them at the Top 3 ahead of other top contenders led by reigning champion La Salle.
But only one will carry on the tear in the crucial second phase in the main game of the double-header at 6 p.m., with the Bulldogs (5-2) sporting a handsome chance to forge a share of lead with UP (6-2).
Adamson (4-3), with a win, could a drag NU to a joint second, breaking a tie with Far Eastern University (4-3) as La Salle (4-4) and University of Santo Tomas (4-4) lurk just behind the Final Four picture in a mad dash to the finish line. Host FEU, the early leader, try stay to afloat and end a three-game skid against Ateneo (3-4) at 2:30 p.m.
NU — an 85-66 winner over Adamson in their first meeting — enter the second phase with three straight wins but coach Jeff Napa is far from satisfied, especially after finishing the elims as the No. 1 seed last season only to lose twice against eventual champion La Salle.
“Ang mindset namin is winners set standards so ‘yun ang kailangan naming ma-address coming into the second round. We need to stay consistent,” said Napa, who lost his core of MVP candidate Jake Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez and Jolo Manansala to graduation among the few.
Good thing for Napa, a new set of heroes have emerged for the Bulldogs so far spearheaded by guard Reinhard Jumamoy (72.714 points) and anchor PJ Palacielo (66.286), who finished at No. 1 and No 3 of the UAAP MVP race after the first round.
Adamson also has an MVP contender in the sixth-running Monty Montebon (60.571) but coach Nash Racela takes pride in the overall capability of his entire squad, who surged ahead after the first round as the heavy underdog capped by a 63-60 stunner of La Salle.
“We should be happy with where we are at right now. To be honest as a coach I knew what we could do as a group, I could see our potential but I apologize to my players, they really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to be at this point after the first round,” said Racela.
“But seven games is seven games. We still have seven more games so it does not really mean anything. It’s only experiential learning. We still have to through fire to learn and get better.”
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