Payback time?

Games today:

(Mall of Asia Arena)

1:30 p.m. — Adamson vs UE

4:30 p.m. — La Salle vs UST

De La Salle University wants payback and a steadier grip of a spot in the upper half of the standings in a clash with University of Santo Tomas to start the second round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 men’s basketball tournament today at the MOA Arena.

Despite the unfortunate loss of Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan to season-ending knee injuries, the Green Archers managed to end the first round with back-to-back wins for a 4-3 win-loss record in solo fourth.

Coming off a morale-boosting 72-69 victory over reigning champion University of the Philippines in a rematch of the previous finals last Sunday, La Salle is brimming with confidence when it takes the floor at 4:30 p.m.

The likes of Luis Pablo, EJ Gollena, Doy Dungo, Vhoris Marasigan and Earl Abadam have been stepping up in the absence of Amos and Baclaan to help workhorse Mike Phillips and Jacob Cortez to help the Green Archers’ cause.

“Losing Kean and Mason really kind of shook the dynamics of this team, but we know that somebody’s going to step up,” La Salle head coach Topex Robinson said.

“The most important thing for us is the one in front of us. We cannot look at the whole piece of the pie right now, but just trying to look for who’s in front of us. We still have a lot of work to do.”

And in front of the Green Archers right now are the Tigers, who pulled off a 93-84 upset in the first round to end a 16-game head-to-head losing skid to La Salle.

UST, however, is licking its wounds after a devastating 59-69 loss to Adamson University for its second defeat in seven games.

Nic Cabanero and center Collins Akowe, who posted 20 points and 19 rebounds against the Green Archers in their initial meeting, will be at the forefront of the second-running Tigers’ attempt to get back on the winning track.

Meanwhile, the Falcons aim to pick up from where they left off to end the opening salvo of the elimination round in a rematch with embattled University of the East.

Adamson sports a 3-4 card in solo sixth and very much in the running for a Final Four seat.

It would be an uphill climb for the Red Warriors from here after dropping all seven of its starts in the first round.

UE is again playing without head coach Chris Gavina and team captain Wello Lingolingo, who are serving their second of four-game and three-game suspensions, respectively.