Games Today
(MoA Arena)
2 p.m. — FEU vs La Salle
4 p.m. — Ateneo vs NU
 

After heavy rains and metro-wide floods caused the postponement of yesterday’s games, the big guns return to action with De La Salle seeking to fortify its hold of the lead against a dangerous Far Eastern University and pre-tournament favorite National U facing its true test against four-time defending champion Ateneo de Manila in the UAAP men’s basketball competition at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Green Archers are atop the standings with two wins in as many starts and will face tough opposition from the Tamaraws, who pulled off a come-from-behind win over highly-touted University of Santo Tomas on opening day, in the 2 p.m. opener.
The Bulldogs lived up to their billing as Season 75’s team-to-beat when they made short work of University of the East, 90-55, and will get their first taste of challenging a championship-caliber squad in the Blue Eagles in the 4 p.m. featured game.
Today’s resumption of games will come after the UAAP board announced yesterday the postponement of the UE-Adamson and UP-UST games to a latter date.
UAAP president Nilo Ocampo said for yesterday’s game will be honored on the dates and venue of the re-scheduled games.
Expected to banner the Green Archers would be Jeron Teng and LA Revilla who have proven most consistent in their last two triumphs.
Last Thursday, Teng provided the finishing kick in La Salle’s 67-59 win over UE and went on to topscore with 16 points while Revilla added 11.
But the Green Archers are bound to face stiffer competition against the Tamaraws who shocked another pre-tournament favorite UST, 73-72, in the second game of Saturday’s season openers.
In the second game, focus would be on how the Blue Eagles could quickly recover from a 70-71 loss to the Tigers last Thursday — the first time they yielded a game to the España-based squad in four years and after 12 consecutive wins.
Significantly, another loss could be Ateneo’s first back-to-back loss in recent memory and could very well result in the Blue Eagles’ worst start in the coach Norman Black-era.
The Bulldogs, on the other hand, have brandished a whole new facet to their ever-improving game with forward Jeoffrey Javillanosa, sophomore Agelo Alolino, rookies Mark de Guzman and Jeth Rosario and Henri Joel Betayene giving them more punch other than the threats already posed by last season’s MVP Bobby Ray Parks and Cameroonian import Emmanuel Mbe.
In that encounter with UE, Javillanosa scored 19 points and had 11 rebounds while Alolino, Rosario and De Guzman combined for 31 points. Betayene held his ground in the shaded area in the first half when a uniform glitch kept Mbe from playing.
“It doesn’t matter if I score 10 or 30 points. I’m just there to be a leader, like another coach on the floor,” said Parks who has vastly matured under the tutelage of NU coach Eric Altamirano. That maturity translated in a well-balanced performance, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocked shots.
Meanwhile, defending champion National University easily defeated of the Adamson Baby Falcons, 75-50, to seize the early lead in the UAAP Season 75 juniors basketball tournament.
The Bullpups notched their second straight victory, with Ralph Atangan, last season’s Finals MVP, leading the way with 19 points and eight rebounds. Ralph Busa and Hubert Cani chipped in 14 and 10 markers, respectively.