Tatapusin na ng Ateneo para sa ‘dream match’

Laro Ngayon

(MOA Arena)

4 p.m. – AdMU vs FEU

(AdMU-twice-to-beat)

MANILA, Philippines - Sa pagsikwat ng top seed La Salle sa unang Finals ticket, nais itong sundan ng second-ranked Ateneo upang itakda ang kanilang championship series para sa UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

Pipilitin ng Blue Eagles, nagtala ng six-game run para tapusin ang eliminasyon bilang No. 2, na angkinin ang ikalawang Finals berth sa pakikipagtuos sa titleholder at third-seeded Far Eastern Tamaraws ngayong alas-4 ng hapon sa MOA Arena.

Nauna nang sinibak ng Green Archers ang No. 4 Adamson Falcons, 69-64 noong nakaraang Miyerkules.

Inaasahan ni Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin na gagawin ng FEU ni mentor Nash Racela ang lahat para makapuwersa ng rubber match at pigilin ang DLSU-AdMU duel.

“I think FEU’s gonna be a monster in this game. They have the (playoffs) experience and their coaching staff is the most experienced in these situations,” wika ni Baldwin.

“For one second, we didn’t think we are anything other than the underdogs. Yes, we’re in great position having to win one (to advance) but we let one game slip and it all goes down to one game. We got to prepare like we’ve been prepa-ring and we’ve got so stay focused on FEU and not think about anything else,” dagdag pa nito.

Handa naman ang Tamaraws na gawin ang kanilang nararapat gawin, ayon kay Racela.

“We’re looking good,” wika ni Racela sa FEU na naisuko ang tatlo sa kanilang huling apat na laro sa eliminasyon.

Kumpiyansa rin si Racela na tatalunin ng Tamaraws ang Blue Eagles bagama’t may 0-2 record sila sa kanilang head-to-head ngayong season.

“If you based it on the games we played, we know that if we make our adjustments and sacrifices for our team, we have a good chance,” ani Racela, sinibak ang La Salle at Ateneo sa Final Four ng nakaraang dalawang seasons.

Isang chess match sa bench ang inaasahang matutunghayan sa pagitan nina Racela at Baldwin, nagkasama sa pamamahala sa Gilas Pilipinas.

“I’m the rookie here,” wika ni Baldwin, nasa kanyang unang season at hangad ihatid ang Blue Eagles sa UAAP Finals matapos makumpleto ang kanilang five-peat noong 2012.

“This has been a learning experience for me in the UAAP and I’m still learning. Sometimes I feel like I’m holding the team back a little bit with my inexperience but it’s the second season now, right?” (OLeyba)