La Salle faces UE in tuneup for Ateneo
The Green Archers (4-1) are back in the groove after their 87-98 setback to University of the Philippines, scoring an emphatic 115-86 rout of the lightweight UST Tigers, and they’re tipped to do the same against the winless Warriors (0-5) in their 4 p.m. encounter. File
Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. – AdU vs UP
4 p.m. – UE vs DLSU
MANILA, Philippines — Second-running La Salle guns for its fifth win today against struggling University of the East at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, seeking to get a good workout ahead of their upcoming big battle with rival and pacesetter Ateneo.
The Green Archers (4-1) are back in the groove after their 87-98 setback to University of the Philippines, scoring an emphatic 115-86 rout of the lightweight UST Tigers, and they’re tipped to do the same against the winless Warriors (0-5) in their 4 p.m. encounter.
Adamson (3-2) and UP (3-2) break their tie for fourth at 2 p. m. with the Falcons shooting for their third consecutive victory and the Maroons seeking to rebound from their 59-78 loss to Far Eastern.
DLSU star Ben Mbala said the shocking loss to UP last week was a wakeup call.
“UP showed we’re just a team like anyone else, who have 50/50 chance of winning. So after that we had to find a way to get back on track and work to reach the level we’re in last year,” he said.
Assistant coach Miggy Solotaria said they shouldn’t look past UE, their last opponent before taking on the undefeated Eagles on Sunday.
“We’re taking it one game at a time,” he said, emphasizing the importance of a concerted effort to get the immediate task done. “It’s not really about our opponents; it’s more about us doing our part, our roles for the team. We know our capabilities, we just have to play as a team.”
Meanwhile, Falcons coach Franz Pumaren braces for a tough battle with a UP team raring to atone for their 19-point blowout to FEU that came after their upset of DLSU.
“It’s pretty scary because they played really bad (against FEU) and knowing UP, for sure they’ll make the necessary adjustments and come out strong on Wednesday,” said Pumaren, noting the need to slow down UP hotshot Paul Desiderio.
UP coach Bo Perasol said his wards need to keep their emotions in check.
“I told them when we win, we have to cut short our celebration. This time, we have to cut short our lamentations and focus on the next games. What’s important is we can’t get pulled down by our emotions,” he said.
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