The Green Archers are in the cusp of clinching the twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals. With a full 2-game lead over Adamson in the standings, the team needs to just win two of their last three games in the elimination round to earn that incentive. They shall face the still winless UST squad tomorrow and it is highly expected that will breeze past the Growling Tigers for win number 10.
La Salle has been playing much better basketball in the second round. While their defense may still be inconsistent at times, they have managed to limit their opponents to just 71 points per game as compared to 92 in the first round. With team chemistry starting to take shape, in appears that the Green Archers are peaking at the right time. That’s bad news for the hapless Tigers who are still searching for that elusive first win with 3 games left in their forgettable season.
Let’s not kid ourselves, the only way the Green Archers would lose here is if they will play the worst basketball we have ever witnessed this season. It’s a given that they should never let their guard down regardless of opponent but to even consider UST of suddenly playing at a high level and score an upset? It’s always possible but highly improbable.
Seriously, that game against FEU to start the second round, as lackluster as it may have been for the Green Archers, they still managed to win. Can they still play worse than that? We don’t think so.
Of course, we can still expect UST to give it their all tomorrow. Though they have shown in their last few game that they can hang tough until the end, it is different when facing an Archers team that not only has a big advantage in talent but at the same time slowly playing with much better cohesion. It would be very difficult for them to compete here.
For La Salle, they need to treat this game just like any other. Start strong and maintain the same energy all throughout. It’s important that they continue to build momentum as they head towards the end of the eliminations and winning convincingly would further boost their confidence.