Games today:

(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion)

1:30 p.m. — UE vs UST

4:30 p.m. — UP vs NU

It’s going to be an ultimate test of character as National University (NU) guns for the solo lead against University of the Philippines (UP) in Season 88 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament today at the Quadcentennial Pavilion inside the University of Santo Tomas (UST) campus. 

Action starts at 4:30 p.m. with the Bulldogs aiming to prove that their first three victories were no fluke against the defending champions, who have finally discovered their old and deadly form after blowing hot and cold in the first three contests.

Before that, UST will troop back to battle to heal its broken heart against University of the East (UE) in the first game at 1:30 p.m.

Billed as a team to beat for landing 6-foot-10 Collins Akowe, the Growling Tigers were red-hot in their first two games as they crushed league heavyweights UP and De La Salle University — two teams who figured in a dramatic finals showdown last season — in dominant fashion.

But they ran into a well-oiled machine in NU, sending them crashing with a dramatic 69-76 setback last Wednesday. 

Akowe, who has been flirting with a 20-20 average in their first two matches, was limited to a season-low five points and eight rebounds, no thanks to the airtight defense employed by 6-foot-10 Omar John, 6-foot-5 PJ Palacielo and the rest of the NU interior defenders against their former high school superstar.

That’s why the main focus on this explosive double-header will be on the dangerous Bulldogs, who are looking to break their leadership deadlock with idle powerhouse Ateneo de Manila University by claiming the scalp of their fourth victim.

NU coach Jeff Napa will again be deploying John and Palacielo on defense while Jake Figueroa is tipped to carry the scoring cudgels after averaging 17.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in his first three games.

“They are disciplined enough to do it, the effort is there — that’s what I always tell them,” said NU coach Jeff Napa after drawing scoring punches from Figueroa in the crucial stretch of their previous win.

“But we can’t simply relax. We still have to test ourselves against other teams, starting with UP on Saturday.”

Indeed, UP will truly test the mettle of the surprising NU squad.

After suffering back-to-back losses to UST and Adamson, the Fighting Maroons woke up from their slumber and punished UE with a 92-75 victory.

Playmaker Rey Remogat, whose transfer from UE to UP made a lot of noise, finally gained his rhythm, firing 18 of his 21 points in the first half to allow the Fighting Maroons to dictate the tempo and set the stage for their first win in three matches.

With Remogat catching fire after averaging just 2.5 points and 2.0 assists in his first two games, the Fighting Maroons are primed to deal the Bulldogs their first setback in the early stretch of this prestigious collegiate tournament.

But Fighting Maroons coach Goldwin Monteverde asserted that they are looking at the improvement of their performance every game, not just at what is reflected in the team standings, knowing that they lost three standouts from their champion squad in Francis Lopez, Quentin Millora-Brown and JD Cagulangan.

“More than the win, it’s how we played the game. It’s understanding that we need each other to achieve something big,” said Monteverde, who will bank anew on Nigerian forward Francis Nnoruka, Gerry Abadiano, Gani Stevens, Harold Alarcon and Jacob Bayla.