MANILA, Philippines – Defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles and arch-rival De La Salle Green Archers will shoot for solo second when they meet for the first time in UAAP Season 73 before an expected sellout crowd on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Eagles and the Archers are tied with idle Adamson Falcons and UST Growling Tigers in second spot with 2-1 records behind FEU Tamaraws’ unblemished 3-0 mark.

Both will try to break away from that four-way logjam starting at 4pm after the noon match between National University (2-1) and University of the East (0-3).

The Eagles have won two games in a row – beating Adamson, 69-66, and UST, 68-56, – after dropping their season opener against the Tamaraws. 

The Archers, on the other hand, are coming off a huge 82-63 win against UE after absorbing a 55-59 loss to NU.  They won their season opener, 80-62, against UP.

Ateneo won both meetings last season en route to their second straight championship.  This year, however, will be a different story with Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Noy Baclao and Jai Reyes no longer with the team.

The Eagles hope to get another huge game from big man Justin Chua, who exploded for 17 points in their recent win against UST, while Nico Salva, Eric Salamat, Kirk Long and Ryan Buenafe are expected to provide steady leadership.

And to stop them is the main concern of the Green Archers’ new coach Dindo Pumaren.
 
“We have to stop their shooters and run our defense with precision,” said Dindo, who took over the place of his older brother Franz after last season.

The Green Archers are relatively young with a pair of fourth year veterans leading the team in Simon Atkins and Ferdinand and a mix of untested rookies, up-and-coming sophomores and juniors completing the cast.

“What they (Archers) lack in experience, they make up in defense and hustle.  The key for us is how to break their pressure defense,” Ateneo coach Norman Black said.

If there’s one player who can spark the Archers is Joshua Webb.  The junior forward averaged 18.5 points last season against the Eagles.  This season though, Webb has only averaged 5.3 points in three games so far.

Ticket scheme

Just like last season, tickets for both games were sold separately.  Tickets for the Ateneo-La Salle game were sold out since last Wednesday according to Araneta officials.

Ticketnet, the ticketing arm of Araneta Colliseum, started to sell last Tuesday. 

Araneta Coliseum’s director for entertainment Sienna Olaso said that Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets will be sold on Saturday. 

She also noted that maximum security will be enforced on the game day with the coliseum security and Cubao Police joining forces to ensure public safety and curb ticket scalping.  Tents were also put up in all gates of the venue in anticipation of long queue of Ateneo and La Salle supporters.

UE continues search for win no. 1
 
In the first game, the UE Red Warriors continue to search for their first win when they battle vastly improved NU Bulldogs.  The game will be telecast on slightly delayed basis at 2pm.
 
The Warriors have all lost their first three games by an average of 21 points.  And they will be hard pressed against the Bulldogs, who nearly scathed the unbeaten Tamaraws in their last game if not for an endgame collapse in a 72-76 loss.
 
The Bulldogs will rely on Camerooninan import Emmanuel Mbe and Jewel Ponferrada inside while Kokoy Hermosisima will continue to provide perimeter scoring.
 
UE’s main man Paul Lee is averaging close to 20 points per game but still not enough to lift the Warriors out of the cellar.