MANILA – The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers' eyes are set on a return trip to the Final Four when they face the De La Salle Green Archers at the Araneta Coliseum Thursday.

UST, which missed the playoffs last season, will try to grab one of its three chances to seal a Final Four berth in an encounter with La Salle at 4 p.m.

On the other hand, the Green Archers are all-out in arresting a five-game slide to live to fight another day.

At 4-7, the Green Archers’ only chance to gain a semis ticket is to sweep their remaining games and hope the Tigers lose their encounters.

La Salle can also possibly catch UST at 6-8 at the end of the eliminations to force a knockout match for the last berth in the playoffs.

A loss on Thursday will officially end the most trying season of the multi-titled La Salle coach Franz Pumaren in disappointment.

With their backs against the wall, the Green Archers will be sporting bald heads in a show of unity as they try to do an encore of their 101-92 double overtime victory in the first round.

That win, ironically, was the last for La Salle, which is now facing elimination for the first time since placing 6th in its inaugural season in the league.

Fate rests on other teams

“Our destiny is not in our hands right now, but I’m still not losing hope. We are just hoping that other teams start losing,” said Pumaren, who is rumored to resign at the end of the season to seek a higher office in Quezon City.

Pumaren, who serves as a councilor in his district, has steered La Salle to the Final Four every year since taking over in 1998 except when the school was slapped with a one-year suspension in 2006.

UST, which last won the UAAP crown in 2006 via a Cinderella run to the Finals, has a full two-game lead over La Salle at 6-5.

“At least hindi kami umaasa sa ibang team para pumasok sa Final Four.  Mas maganda ang tiyansa namin ngayon kaysa noong 2006 kung saan dumaaan pa kami sa butas ng karayom,” said UST coach Pido Jarencio.

Twice-to-beat chance

In the curtain-raiser at 2 p.m., the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors will seek to formally enter the Final Four against the giant-killer University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons.

The Warriors, who are hoping to join defending champion Ateneo and second-running Far Eastern University in the playoffs, are not taking the Maroons lightly.

“We want to win our last three games and hope to tie FEU at second for a chance to get a twice-to-beat advantage,” said UE rookie coach Lawrence Chongson.

That spells bad news for the Fighting Maroons, who have a very slim chance of getting into the Final Four via backdoor.

At 3-8, the Maroons’ possibility of crashing the Final Four party hinges on a sweep of their remaining games and hope that neither UST nor La Salle reaches seven wins.

A loss on Thursday will officially end their bid. – Alder T. Almo

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