Ateneo eyes 2nd semis slot

Games Thursday (Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. — Adamson vs UP
4 p.m. — UE vs Ateneo

Three-peat seeking Ateneo shoots for the second Final Four berth when it battles University of the East this Wednesday in the 73rd UAAP basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles won their sixth consecutive game by blasting La Salle, 74-57, last Sunday to move one step closer to earning a semis ticket for the 12th consecutive season.

Although the Eagles enjoy distinct advanage over the Red Warriors who are second to last in the eight-team standings with just three wins in 10 games, Ateneo is not treating the 4 p.m. game lightly.

He said he was happy with the win against La Salle but there are still many games ahead.

"It's a big win for us, not just because it helps us in the team standings but it won't mean much if we don't play well on Thursday (against University of the East)," said Black.

Currently in second place (8-2) behind Far Eastern University (9-1), Ateneo has gotten strong contributions from Kirk Long, Eric Salamat, Ryan Buenafe, Eman Monfort, Frank Golla and rookie Art dela Cruz to duel its streak.

Long stood out in their win over the Green Archers firing a career-high 22 points on 4-of-5 triples.

On the other hand, UE tries to keep its very slim Final Four hopes alive, a game after stunning Final Four contender Adamson, 71-63, on Saturday.

In that contest, veteran guard James Martinez took over the scoring chores from Paul Lee making 15 points, most of them made in the payoff period to give the Warriors just their third win in 10 outings.

"Our backs are against the wall," said UE coach Lawrence Chongson, whose squad is in danger of missing the Final Four for the first time since 2001.

source:mb