Games today:

(Mall of Asia Arena)

4 p.m. — NU vs FEU

6 p.m. — La Salle vs UST

De La Salle University may have racked up four straight victories, but none came easy.

Green Archers coach Topex Robinson expects nothing less from their next assignments as they continue to fight for a title repeat in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.

“We all know that this season is going to be the hardest for us. Just like what I always tell these players, that’s what you get for being the defending champions,” Robinson said.

La Salle is again up for a tough grind squaring off with a formidable University of Santo Tomas (UST) side today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Green Archers put their hot streak and hold of a share of the top spot at stake in the 6 p.m. main game of the third playdate of the second round.

Meanwhile, bottom half teams Far Eastern University (FEU) and National University (NU) meet for a rematch at 4 p.m.

La Salle will be put under the microscope once again against a squad that almost pulled off an upset in their first-round meeting.

A slow start got the Green Archers trailing by 10 before regaining lost ground to cage the Tigers, 88-67, last 29 September.

The Taft-based squad sports a 7-1 win-loss record tied with last year’s finals victim University of the Philippines.

La Salle escaped a 77-68 grind-out game over University of the East last Saturday to exact revenge on the only team so far to put a blemish on its record.

Robinson tells his boys led by workhorse forwards Mike Phillips and reigning Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao to embrace the challenge of teams going after their necks.

UST is no exception.

“Every team will always come out with guns blazing every time they play. Gone are the days that you’re just gonna blow by teams because there’s so much respect for you now. That’s gonna make us better. These games are gonna make us better. We’ll learn from it. We’ll grow from it,” Robinson said.

“A lot of these games will just make us better and make us stronger together.”

The Tigers are coming off a sorry 73-83 loss to the Fighting Maroons last Sunday, which dropped them to an even 4-4 slate at fourth spot.

With idle Adamson University (3-5) within striking distance, UST needs a win to create more breathing room as the Final Four race tightens.

On the other hand, the Tamaraws eye to string their first back-to-back wins this season against their first-round tormentor.

FEU braved a grueling battle against Adamson to carve out a hard-earned, 76-72, win in overtime that saw Jorick Bautista take over to force the extension before steering his team to its second win in eight starts last Saturday.

The Tamaraws are in a three-way log jam in sixth to eighth with the Bulldogs and Ateneo de Manila University.

NU suffered a 68-70 defeat at the hands of the Blue Eagles last Sunday.

The Bulldogs barely escaped with a 62-60 win over the Tamaraws in the first round.