UST seeks co-leadership in UAAP Season 88 men's basketball

c/o UAAP

Standings W L 

Men's
NU 5 1
UST 4 1
UP 4 2
Ateneo 4 2
DLSU 2 3
AdU 2 4
FEU 1 4
UE 0 5

Women's
UST 4 0
NU 4 1
Ateneo 4 1
FEU 2 2
UP 2 3
AdU 2 3
DLSU 0 4
UE 0 4

JHS Boys'
NUNS 6-0
FEU-D 4-1
AdU 4-2
UE 3-2
UST 3-2
Ateneo 2-4
DLSZ 0-5
UPIS 0-6

Games Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena
8 a.m. – DLSZ vs UE (JHS Boys')
10 a.m. – UST vs FEU-D (JHS Boys')
1 p.m. – DLSU vs UE (Women's)
3 p.m. – DLSU vs UE (Men's)
5 p.m. – UST vs FEU (Men's)
7 p.m. – UST vs FEU (Women's)

University of Santo Tomas looks to grab a share of first place as it faces a dangerous Far Eastern University side, while De La Salle University hopes to recover minus injured forward Mason Amos when the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament resumes today (Wednesday) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Coming off a character-defining performance that reaffirmed its status as a title contender, the Growling Tigers are gunning for a third straight win when they battle the Tamaraws at 5 p.m.

It took UST three overtimes to outlast Ateneo, 98-89, in the league’s much-heralded return to the iconic Blue Eagle Gym last Saturday, thanks to the efforts of Nigerian big man Collins Akowe, Gelo Crisostomo, and Forthsky Padrigao.

“It’s a character win for us. There’s a saying nga na that a great sailor will sail smooth seas, so the team will have to go through this to experience this journey and hopefully this makes us a better and stronger team with the experience we had against Ateneo,” said Growling Tigers assistant coach Juno Sauler.

A victory will lift UST into a tie with National University at the top of the standings with a 5-1 record.

It has been a tough second season so far for coach Sean Chambers, as FEU currently sits in seventh place with a 1-4 slate. Three of those losses were decided by four points or less, with the Tamaraws still struggling to close out games — the latest being a heartbreaking 66-69 loss to defending champion University of the Philippines last Sunday.

“We need to get over the so-called hill to finalize and finish these games off. So I spoke to all of them during practice, saying that we have to go earn the respect of the rest of the team in the league by winning against some of the upper echelon teams to let them know that we have arrived,” said Chambers.

“We’re playing great basketball, but we just gotta finish off these games and the deal. So, I mean, I’m happy with their effort, but I hate losing, and I just think that we don’t want moral victories. I know we’re playing good basketball. We just gotta get one more step over to beat these top teams,” the many-time PBA Best Import awardee added.

Meanwhile, the Green Archers hope to catch a break against the University of the East Red Warriors, who remain winless in five games and have dropped 11 straight dating back to last season’s second round. Tip-off is set at 3 p.m.

Enduring its worst start since coach Topex Robinson took over in 2023, La Salle is digging deep to stay within the top-four range.

“There’s no way for us but to, again, keep on persevering and fighting. We could have had all the reasons to just go down and die, but I guess that’s the least of our priorities right now. We have a lot of basketball to play, a lot of opportunities to bounce back. What’s important is we stick together and go through this harder this time, especially with injuries to our players but it is what it is. As long as we have life, we have a chance. We’re not gonna give up on this,” Robinson said.

Amos will be sidelined for at least six to eight weeks after sustaining an MCL tear in his right knee during La Salle’s 78-82 loss to National University last Sunday, dropping the Season 86 champions to a 2-3 record.

In the women’s division, league-leading UST seeks its fifth straight win against vastly improved FEU at 7 p.m.

Tigresses coach Haydee Ong remains cautious of the Lady Tamaraws, who hold a 2-2 record behind the efforts of Amyah Espanol and Shem Abatayo, while keeping her team focused on one game at a time.

“It’s a long season — we just had our fourth game and three more in the first round, so one game at a time lang kami. We’ll go against FEU on Wednesday, so that's what we are preparing for,” Ong said after UST rallied past Ateneo, 75-66, last Saturday.

FEU coach Raiza Palmera-Dy is also preparing her squad for a tough battle against the top-ranked Tigresses, powered by Kent Pastrana and Nigerian student-athlete Oma Onianwa.

“Sabi ko nga sa kanila, we will face the No. 1 team. I hope that we are ready to face them, but I will prepare them mentally and physically kasi hindi yan magiging madali kasi they’re a more experienced team. Hopefully, lahat ng trinabaho namin offseason, lumabas next game,” said Palmera-Dy.

(“I told them that we’ll be facing the No. 1 team. I just hope we’re ready, but I’ll make sure to prepare them mentally and physically because it’s not going to be easy — they’re a much more experienced team. Hopefully, everything we worked on during the offseason shows in our next game.")

Earlier in the day, La Salle and UE, both still searching for their first win after four games, will clash at 1 p.m.

In the 16-and-under division, FEU-Diliman aims to solidify its hold on second place against UST at 10 a.m., while defending champion UE battles De La Salle-Zobel in the 8 a.m. curtain-raiser.

All games will air live on the Pilipinas Live app, One Sports, and the UAAP Varsity Channel.