La Salle guns for Final Four berth

Games today:

(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion)

12 p.m. — Ateneo vs UST

3:30 p.m. — Adamson vs La Salle

Defending champion De La Salle University is just a win away from punching a ticket into the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament Final Four.

Standing in the way of the Green Archers’ formal entry into the next round is a reeling but still very dangerous Adamson University.

Although La Salle has the momentum after winning five straight games, head coach Topex Robinson remains wary of the challenge the Falcons will throw in their second-round meeting today at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Action erupts at 3:30 p.m. following the Ateneo de Manila University-UST tussle at 12 p.m.

“Well, we know that Adamson is one of the best defensive teams in the league right now. Their numbers are really showing that, you know, they know how to play defense,” Robinson said.

La Salle has been on a tear since suffering its lone loss of the season so far at the hands of University of the East, knocking down opponents that came its way.

However, the Green Archers needed an extra five minutes to take down the Tigers, 94-87, last Wednesday to hike their win-loss record to 8-1 for the solo top spot.

Robinson is looking beyond Adamson’s 3-5 card and its current three-game slide.

He knows the Falcons are capable of pulling off an upset given a chance. And La Salle’s 82-52 drubbing of Adamson in the first round won’t matter once they meet inside the court.

“Again, a well-coached program. So, we just have to make sure that we come in prepared and confident knowing that we have to do things also to beat Adamson,” Robinson said.

“We don’t really look at where we are right now but we’re focused on where we are headed. You know, that’s what we’re thinking right now. And we cannot rest right now because there are gonna be opportunities that we might regret in the end.”

Adamson is coming off a week-long break following a sorry 72-76 overtime loss to Far Eastern University to start the second round.

Meanwhile, the Blue Eagles gun for their first winning streak in a very challenging season against the home team missing Malian Mo Tounkara due to a one-game suspension.

Ateneo looks to take advantage of the Tigers’ big hole in the middle after Tounkara was handed a ban after incurring two technical fouls that had him ejected late in the fourth quarter against La Salle.

Sporting a 2-6 card, the Blue Eagles are in a must-win situation in the second round to remain in the Final Four contention.

Ateneo avenged its first round loss to National University with a 70-68 escape last Sunday.

Despite absorbing back-to-back losses to start the last half of the elimination round, UST remains at fourth spot with a 4-5 slate.