Archers, Maroons fight for No. 3 spot

MANILA, Philippines — La Salle and University of the Philippines tangle in an all-important showdown with the No. 3 seeding in the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball Final Four on the line today at the MOA Arena.

The Archers (8-5), stalled by a 62-71 loss to rival Ateneo last Sunday, try again in the 4 p.m. duel with the determined Maroons (7-6), who are looking to make the most of this chance to break an 11-year spell in the F4.

If La Salle wins, it progresses to the semis for the third straight year while sending UP to a 7-7 card, with the Maroons praying for Far Eastern (7-6) to lose to semis-bound Adamson on Sunday to get a rubber match for the remaining slot.

But if UP prevails, it sets up an F4 duel with the No. 2 Falcons while La Salle either takes the fourth seeding or goes through a KO with FEU, depending on the Tams’ final win-loss tally.

In the first game, sure top seed Ateneo (11-2) plays eliminated Santo Tomas (5-8) aiming to complete a sweep of the second round,

“After the loss to Ateneo, I told the boys we have to move forward and take care of our business on Wednesday,” said DLSU coach Louie Gonzalez, eyeing to steer the Archers to the F4 on his maiden season. We really need to work hard para makuha iyon. If we win on Wednesday, alam na namin agad na Adamson agad ang kalaban.”

The Maroons put themselves in striking distance by nailing their seventh victory over Santo Tomas, 83-69.

“We have to put this win behind us because we still need one more win,” said UP’s Bo Perasol, whose team enjoys higher quotient than DLSU and FEU in case they end up with a triple tie at 8-6.

“I think the advantage of La Salle is they’re used to these situations. We hope to learn as fast as we could playing with everything at stake. But I trust in what I see in my players.”