UAAP: UP, FEU seek to strengthen Final Four bids

AUniversity of the Philippines‘ Rey Remogat against Adamson University in UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball. UAAP Media.MANILA — The University of the Philippines seeks to move a step closer to a sixth consecutive Final Four appearance when it takes on Adamson University on Wednesday in UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Fighting Maroons can further solidify their hold on a postseason berth and strengthen their bid for a twice-to-beat incentive with a victory in the 5 p.m. contest.

UP enters the matchup with a 7-2 record, good for solo first place ahead of National University (7-3) and defending champion De La Salle University (6-4).

As the elimination round enters its crucial stretch, the Fighting Maroons remain focused on sustaining the consistency that has fueled their current five-game winning streak.

“Coaches are never content and that’s the reality of it because it’s an imperfect game … there were lapses from a scheme standpoint, defensively and offensively. But that’s the process for our team. What’s important is that everybody is committed to it, kumbaga ang mantra ng UP ‘Walang bibitaw.’ Importante sa amin ‘yun,” assistant coach Christian Luanzon said.

“As coach Goldwin (Monteverde) emphasized, ‘yung puso … naging consistent kami.”

Veteran forward Gani Stevens believes the team’s steady growth has been key to its rise atop the standings.

“We’ve definitely grown a lot as a team. Our coaches always say that at the start of the season, we shouldn’t be already at our peak and it should be at the end where we have a constant track of consistent growth,” Stevens said.

“I think now we have definitely grown more since the first round and that’s just a testament to what the coaches instilled in us players.

“We do everything as a team now and it’s really paying off.”

Adamson, meanwhile, faces a must-win situation as it tries to keep its Final Four hopes alive.

The Falcons carry a 4-5 record and sit in sixth place, with another loss potentially dealing a major blow to their playoff aspirations. They are also looking to avenge a narrow 69-67 defeat to the Fighting Maroons in their first-round meeting on Oct. 14.

Earlier in the day, Far Eastern University aims to strengthen its bid for a return to the Final Four when it faces University of the East at 2:30 p.m.

The Tamaraws snapped a three-game skid with a 73-66 victory over Adamson last week and currently occupy fourth place with a 5-4 record, narrowly ahead of Ateneo de Manila University (5-5).

FEU is seeking its first semifinals appearance since Season 84 after falling short in each of the last four seasons.

UE, on the other hand, continues to search for its first win of the campaign after absorbing a 101-70 loss to UP on Oct. 25, extending its losing streak to 29 games.

In the women’s division, defending champion University of Santo Tomas will try to stretch its unbeaten run to nine games against La Salle at 8 a.m.

FEU takes on UE at 10 a.m., while Adamson and UP clash at noon in a matchup with significant implications for the race for the fourth and final Final Four spot.

The Lady Tamaraws and Lady Falcons are tied at 5-4, just ahead of the fifth-running Fighting Maroons, who hold a 4-4 mark.