MANILA, Philippines - Pre-season favorite Far Eastern U and last year’s runner-up La Salle try to bounce back from their opening game setbacks as they square off today in the 72nd UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Tams, boasting of an intact roster that includes Smart Gilas Pilipinas standouts Mark Barroca, JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos, bowed to the Ateneo Eagles, 59-63, but are fancied to come out strong against the Archers in their 4 p.m. encounter.
The rookie-laden Archers, swept by the Eagles in last year’s finals, took a stinging 46-65 defeat at the hands of the UE Warriors and will be trying to prevent going 0-2 at the start of the tournament for the first time since joining the league 23 years ago.
“It’s a very challenging situation because we don’t have a single dominant player,” said La Salle coach Franz Pumaren.
“The players just have to accept the fact that when they look over their shoulders, there’s no (JV) Casio or (Rico) Maeirhofer. But I’ve been to situations like this before, I think we can still pull through,” he said.
FEU mentor Glen Capacio, however, said they need to toughen up mentally to be able to come back from that sorry loss to the Eagles last Sunday.
The defending champions went on to defeat the Warriors, 72-57, last Thursday for a share of the lead with the UST Tigers at 2-0.
In the other game, Univ. of the Phils. and Adamson likewise gun for their first win in the 2 p.m. opener
The Falcons fell to the Tigers, 75-76, while the Maroons absorbed a 64-74 beating from the National U Bulldogs last week.