Unbeaten UST battles winless NU
Games Today (Mall of Asia Arena) 2 p.m. – Ateneo vs UE 4 p.m. – NU vs UST
Not too long ago, National University (NU) was on the top of the collegiate basketball world, having won the championship for the first time in 60 years in inspiring fashion, leaving its plethora of supporters awe-struck.
While the Bulldogs were celebrating, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers just came off a disappointing season under rookie coach Bong Dela Cruz, missing the Final Four after two straight runner-up finishes. Oh, how times have changed. Now, UST will look to zoom past ahead of everyone and stretch its unbeaten run to four games as it takes on a winless NU side today in the UAAP basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Flying under the radar for most of the preseason, the Tigers remain as the only unbeaten team this season, winning their first three games against Adamson, title favorite Far Eastern University and the surprising stubborn University of the Philippines.
With graduating guard Ed Daquioag having the season of his life and Kevin Ferrer being the steady veteran that he is, no team has figured out how to solve the UST riddle – at least for the moment.
And given the struggles of the defending champion Bulldogs, the Tigers will certainly head into the 4 p.m. game as the clear cut favorites.
“Mas maganda na nakauna ka,” said Dela Cruz. “Pero siyempre, we cannot relax against the Bulldogs. They might be winless now but being the defending champions, lalaban yan.”
If Daquioag’s impressive form continues, then expect UST to come out victorious again.
The 6-foot Daquioag scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half of their 67-59 win over UP last Sunday amid MVP chants from the Tigers faithful.
While UST is enjoying its early success, NU is hoping to resolve its slump.
NU faces the prospect of dropping to a 0-4 start after a disappointing 7470 double overtime defeat to Ateneo in a game that saw the Bulldogs allowing Eagles superstar Kiefer Ravena to extend the game twice.
This time, Ravena will faced rookie Bonbon Batiller as Ateneo and University of the East seek their third win in four games in the 2 p.m. opener.
The game will be a test for Batiller if he’s indeed for real as he faces Ravena and the rest of the Eagles.
Batiller, a rookie transferee from Holy Trinity College in General Santos City, is averaging 21 points in his first three UAAP games, including back-toback 23-point outputs against NU and Adamson.
“This will be a big test for us,” said UE Coach Derrick Pumaren. “We know what Ateneo can do, we just have to focus on playing the Warriors’ brand of basketball.”