Eagles mix it up with Tigers

After picking up the pieces the other day, Ateneo continues its long, gradual march toward the Final Four when it meets unpredictable Santo Tomas in the 65th UAAP men’s basketball tournament today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

With their backs against the wall after a jarring three-game skid and a season-ending injury to ace point guard L.A. Tenorio, the Blue Eagles bounced back with a 90-79 win over lowly National University last Thursday for an even 5-5 record.

Coach Joel Banal, in his first year with the Eagles, is now hoping that the momentum of the victory over the Bulldogs, down and out with a 1-10 record, could carry them past the Tigers, who are well-rested following a tiring 92-88 double-overtime win over Adamson last Sunday.

The 50-minute victory was the sixth win in 10 outings for the Tigers who, like the Eagles, are just as determined to make it to the next round. Santo Tomas has not won the title since a four-year romp that ended in 1996, and even missed the Final Four last year.

A junior setto featuring Adamson and UP will open hostilities at 11:30 a.m.

Before beating NU, Ateneo actually lost five of six previous games, only fanning reports that all’s not well within the Katipunan base, and that the team’s most generous member of the alumni is slowly losing patience with the ballclub that has gone title-less in a dozen years.

The 4 p.m. match against the Tigers will be very crucial for the Eagles since they need to sweep their last four games to possibly clinch one of the top two spots in the Final Four. Arch-rival La Salle is a clinch for one of the top two slots with its perfect 10-0 record.