Maroons gun for Final Four slot and at same time, shoot down Eagles again
University of the Philippines puts a six-game winning streak on the line and at the same time, the Fighting Maroons also try to extend a win streak against Ateneo that would assure them of marching to a sixth straight Final Four appearance in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
Currently the hottest team in the league with an 8-2 record, the Maroons and the Blue Eagles clash at 6 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the win sealing the extension of the Final Four streak for UP while also giving the squad the inside track at the first twice-to-beat advantage.
The Maroons, who have won their last seven meetings with the Eagles, hold a one-game lead over National University and a two-game cushion over Far Eastern University and De La Salle, who are tied for third at 6-4, meaning, Ateneo can ill afford to lose more ground being at 5-5 coming into the game.
“The placings are really deceptive. What I mean by that is that anything can change in a heartbeat, basically,” said Christian Luanzon, the chief assistant of UP coach Goldwin Monteverde. “One game can change the complexion of that right away.
“You cannot take any team for granted,” he added.
Despite their dominant run, the Fighting Maroons insist they have yet to reach their peak form.
“There’s still a lot of things that we can improve on as a team. Hopefully, we peak at the right time,” Luanzon said. “Obviously, we are in a situation where we have control of our destiny (by leading the standings). We’re just maximizing that and trying to improve as a team.”
With rookie Kieffer Alas leading the way, the Blue Eagles opened the second round with back-to-back victories and gave defending champion La Salle all it could handle before suffering a 73-76 overtime defeat a week ago.
Ateneo remains firmly in the hunt for a return to the Final Four after a two-year absence, and solving the UP puzzle would provide a significant boost to its campaign.
Adamson University, meanwhile, hopes to snap a three-game losing streak and get back into Final Four contention when it takes on already-eliminated University of the East at 2:30 p.m.
The Falcons, who finished the first round with a surprising 4-3 record, have yet to win in the second round. Their struggles have included deflating double-digit defeats to the Bulldogs and the Maroons.
Now mired in a 30-game losing streak, the Red Warriors, who are set to miss the Final Four for the 15th consecutive season, will continue their pursuit for an elusive victory.
In the women’s division, Adamson (6-4) seeks to regain sole possession of third place and strengthen its Final Four bid against UE (1-7) at 10 a.m.UP and Ateneo, both outside the top four with identical 4-5 records, battle for a crucial victory at 12 noon to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
