Seeing double: Maroons target twice-to-beat edge

Games today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

2:30 p.m. — NU vs UE

5 p.m. — UP vs FEU

After securing a Final Four seat, red-hot University of the Philippines (UP) shifts its sights on locking in the twice-to-beat advantage against Far Eastern University (FEU) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 men’s basketball tournament today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The league-leading Fighting Maroons put their seven-game winning streak on the line in the 5 p.m. rematch with their first round tormentor.

UP sits alone atop the standings with a 9-2 win-loss record.

The Fighting Maroons formally clinched a berth to the playoffs after beating Ateneo de Manila University, 62-55, last week for their eighth straight Final Four appearance and sixth under head coach Goldwin Monteverde.

Since Monteverde took over in 2022, UP has finished in the top two for five consecutive seasons and won two championships during that stretch.

“We’re in the Final Four but we’re not dwelling on that. Our focus is on our preparation to finish the eliminations with a winning note,” said Veejay Pre, the Season 87 Rookie of the Year, who is facing his former school for the second time this season.

Although on a winning roll, UP remains wary of the Tamaraws, who handed the Fighting Maroons one of their only two losses so far.

UP suffered a 90-79 loss to FEU in their first meeting back on 4 October in a wire-to-wire game where the Tamaraws led by as many as 25.

“We know that all teams are adjusting but our coaches are there to guide us in practice. We take it one game at a time and we remain hungry. I see my teammates are also eager to win and we show it on court,” Pre said.

FEU is currently tied with defending champion De La Salle University for third and fourth places at 6-5, half a game ahead of University of Santo Tomas (UST), which has revived its Final Four campaign with back-to-back victories to improve to 6-6.

The Tamaraws are coming off an 86-85 loss to the Tigers last Sunday.

Meanwhile, National University (NU) looks to formalize its entry into the Final Four and strengthen its bid for a twice-to-beat advantage when it takes on also-ran University of the East (UE) at 2:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs are in solo second with an 8-3 card and are fresh off an 84-80 victory over the Green Archers, 84-80, last Sunday.

NU is determined to make amends for last season’s debacle, when the Bulldogs missed the finals despite having a twice-to-beat advantage as top seed. The Bulldogs lost to eventual champion La Salle.

“What happened to us last year was painful. We had the twice-to-beat but we still came up short. It’s up to us what to do with that if we clinch that again,” Bulldogs coach Jeff Napa said.

With two games remaining in the season, the Red Warriors hope to play spoiler and avoid another losing streak.

After ending a 30-game losing streak against Adamson University, UE crashed back to earth with a 70-97 defeat to UST last Wednesday.