Unbeaten Tams seek No. 8 vs Bulldogs

MANILA, Philippines - Far Eastern University hopes to sustain its form coming off a long layoff as it faces title contender National University at the start of the second round of the UAAP Season 76 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The Tams survived at least three close matches to complete a sweep of the first round elims and build a three-game lead over the Bulldogs, the UST Tigers and the UE Warriors, who all ended up with 4-3 marks.

“Every game in the second round is important,” said FEU coach Nash Racela, fresh from serving as scout to Gilas Pilipinas that copped a silver in the recent 27th FIBA Asia Championship for Men for a berth in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

“Teams are trying to catch up with us. Kami naman (As for us), we’re trying to get separation (from the rest),” he said.

Racela added that they are anticipating every team to be tougher in the second round.

“We knew that all of the teams struggled in the first round with the guys having injuries and eligibility issues. We are fortunate that we didn’t have those problems,” he said.

FEU and NU clash in the 4 p.m. main game of the league’s first day of action since taking a two-week break to give way to the country’s hosting of the FIBA-Asia tilt.

Equally explosive is the 2 p.m. curtain-raiser between Adamson (3-4) and La Salle (3-4), two teams that figured in a controversy-marred first-round showdown last July 24.

The Green Archers won that one, 70-67, in a game that saw a controversial unsportsmanlike foul slapped on AdU’s Gian Abrigo in the stretch.

The Falcons protested and sought a rematch but was denied by the board.

As an offshoot, however, the league extended the suspension of referee Francisco Olivar to six games, from the initial three-game ban that commissioner Chito Loyzaga meted out for making that controversial call.

Meanwhile, defending champion Ateneo (3-4) hopes to sustain the momentum of its two-straight wins to cap its first round campaign and parade healthier players when it resumes its title bid against winless UP (0-7) tomorrow, also at the Big Dome.

University of Santo Tomas and University of the East, both with 4-3, tangle in the main event of the Thursday double-header.