STRIVING FOR GREATNESS: La Salle ready to deliver strong finishing kick

Games today:

(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion)

2 p.m. — La Salle vs NU

6:30 p.m. — UE vs Ateneo

Defending champion De La Salle University battles also-ran National University with eyes set on completing a sweep of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament second round today.

Although the 2 p.m. curtain-raiser at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion has no significant bearing on the league-leading Green Archers, having already secured the top seeding in the Final Four armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, head coach Topex Robinson and his crew want to end their elims campaign on a high note.

“We always strive for greatness and, you know, we honor the basketball, we honor the game, it’s been good to us and short-handling or short-handling these guys is unfair to them,” he said.

Meanwhile, University of the East gets a fourth try sans suspended center Precious Momowei at ending a 15-year Final Four drought when it takes on eliminated Ateneo de Manila University at 6:30 p.m.

La Salle carries a 12-1 win-loss record and is on a nine-game winning streak including a 77-66 demolition of second-running and semis No. 2 seed University of the Philippines last Sunday.

Despite advancing to their second straight Final Four, the Green Archers are not taking the Bulldogs lightly as they look to carry momentum into the next round against the semis No. 4 squad.

For Robinson, La Salle wants to respect the game and give NU, which fell short of a semis stint after two straight appearances, a good fight.

The Green Archers defeated the Bulldogs in last season’s Final Four.

“So, we always respect and honor the game and it’s been good to us. So, we’re always going to come out playing for our school, you know, playing for the alumni that always watch our game and it’s unfair to them if we’re not going to play our best. You know, it’s always going to be bringing out our best, you know, for our alma mater,” Robinson said.

La Salle beat NU, which struggled the whole season, in a close 78-75 decision in the season opener last 8 September.

The Bulldogs are at solo seventh spot with a 4-9 slate.

On the other hand, the Red Warriors will be without their Nigerian import when they battle the Blue Eagles to secure the elusive semis seat.

UE has lost three straight games but remains at solo third spot with a 6-6 card.

Momowei was slapped with a one-game ban after incurring two unsportsmanlike fouls that had him ejected midway in the fourth quarter of the Red Warriors’ 67-76 loss to UST last Sunday.

His absence will leave UE a huge hole in the middle, which Ateneo can take advantage of in salvaging some measure of pride after missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

The Blue Eagles only have three wins under their wings after 12 outings.

Ateneo suffered a 65-54 defeat at the hands of the Tamaraws last Saturday.

The Red Warriors outworked the Blue Eagles, 69-62, in their first-round meeting.