La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao reacts throughout a recreation in opposition to Ateneo within the UAAP Season 86 males’s basketball event.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
La Salle performed its half in closing out its UAAP Season 86 males’s basketball event elimination spherical task, and successful over bitter rival Ateneo on Saturday appears to only be icing on the cake for what the Inexperienced Archers achieved after sweeping the second spherical.
A 72-69 win over the Blue Eagles earlier than greater than 14,900 screaming souls clad in inexperienced and blue at Good Araneta Coliseum not solely avenged a primary spherical loss but in addition virtually gave the Archers a certain twice-to-beat bonus within the Last 4—if not high seeding after Sunday’s closing recreation.
“We all the time ensure to maintain what now we have management of, and we don’t actually know and we don’t wanna take note of what’s gonna occur within the subsequent few days,” coach Topex Robinson stated, referring to who they may draw as a foe within the semifinals.
“We’re not gonna waste time interested by who we’re gonna play, however we’re gonna put all of our vitality and energy in ensuring we’re okay.”
Irrespective of, whoever the foe might be will definitely have a mountain to scale.
La Salle completed with an 11-3 slate to earn the highest spot within the standings for the primary time, overtaking College of the Philippines (11-2) with Nationwide College (NU) at 10-3.
As issues stand, solely a lack of 39 factors or extra by UP when it battles NU Sunday will deny La Salle a high two berth when the quotient system within the case of a triple tie for No. 1 ensues. Ought to the Combating Maroons win, they acquire No. 1 and La Salle the second seed.
Ateneo dropped to 7-7, and the defending champion Eagles must see a College of the East upset of Adamson additionally Sunday to advance because the No. 4 seed within the semifinals, in any other case, they sq. off with the Hovering Falcons.
Prepping for subsequent season
In the meantime, College of Santo Tomas (UST) will stroll away from a forgettable season hoping to be higher when its time for redemption comes.
And that street for the Growling Tigers begins on Wednesday as they take only a few days off.
“In basketball, it’s all about timing. Successful, turning into a champion, constructing a robust workforce, different groups graduating their gamers,” coach Pido Jarencio advised reporters after UST ended its marketing campaign on Saturday with a victory in opposition to Far Jap College, 57-53, at Good Araneta Coliseum.
“It’s a course of. For us, the method continues on,” added Jarencio, whose Tigers completed with at 2-12, with each wins coming on the expense of the Tamaraws.
Jarencio is just not pointing any fingers at what went improper of their season. In actual fact, he takes all of the blame.
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“I take full accountability,” he stated.