Green Archers, Tamaraws out for rebound victory to start the second round

Maroons battle Growling Tigers

ENDED the opening round of elimination play in Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) on a losing note, the defending champions De La Salle Green Archers and tournament hosts Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws try to book a bounce back win when they begin their second-round campaign against one another today.

To be played at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Archers ( 5- 2) and Tamaraws (4- 3) reengage in Season 80 at the scheduled main game at 4 p. m. with the hopes of getting back on the winning track and setting the tone well for themselves for the second fold of the tournament.

La Salle dropped its last game to rivals and league- leaders Ateneo Blue Eagles, 76-75, on Sunday, where it had the victory snatched from its clutches after making a spirited comeback.

The loss deprived the Archers of the opportunity to hand the Eagles their first loss of the season and, ditto, tied the latter in the standings while also seeing their two- game win streak halted.

Reigning league most valuable player Ben Mbala of Cameroon as expected has been towering for La Salle in the ongoing tournament, averaging impressive numbers of 30.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and two blocks in five games. He missed his team’s first two games to play for his country’s national team in the FIBA AfroBasket tournament.

Andrei Caracut and Ricci Rivero have been backstopping their main man with 10.7 points each.

Point guard Aljun Melecio has been good for 14 points but was limited to just four games in the first round because of dengue. But he is expected to make his comeback against FEU.

While they still wound up with a good winning record in the opening round, Mbala said they have could done better and is hoping that in the second half of the eliminations they get to play “mature and consistent” basketball to better prepare themselves in defending their title.

Like La Salle, FEU (4-3) is angling to get back to winning after losing to the streaking Adamson Soaring Falcons, 95-79, last time around.

The loss stopped the Tamaraws’ erstwhile three-game winning streak and pushed them back to fourth place as the first round wrapped up.

Unlike in its winning run, FEU struggled against Adamson, trailing the latter nearly throughout the contest held last Saturday.

Jasper Parker led the Tamaraws with 12 points while Ron Dennison finished with 11 and Hubert Cani and Ron Ramirez each having eight points.

Unfortunately for FEU, they will be missing the services of Arvin Tolentino in today’s game after meriting a one- game suspension for his unsportsmanlike foul during the Adamson game.

UP VS UST

Preceding the La Salle-FEU game is that of University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons (34) against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers (07) at 2 p.m.

UP has lost three consecutive games after a promising 3-1 start to slump to joint fifth place with the idle National University Bulldogs while UST is the lone winless team to date in UAAP Season 80.

In the first round, the Maroons defeated the Tigers by the skin of their teeth, 74-73.

Meanwhile, University of the East’s Alvin Pasaol was named UAAP player of the week after averaging 40.5 points in their two games, going 1-1.

The stocky Red Warrior scored 49 points against La Salle last Wednesday and followed it up with a 32-point outing in their win over UST on Saturday.

In winning the weekly plum given by the UAAP press corps, Pasaol beat out Matt Nieto of Ateneo, Jerrick Ahanmisi of Adamson, and Mbala of La Salle. —