UNIVERSITY of the East coach Jack Santiago could pinpoint the moment when the tides changed for his wards for the better.
“Doon talaga, nung natalo namin yung No. 1 team,” he said, looking back at that 75-71 shocker last Sept. 22 when UE stunned La Salle in the second of what is now a five-game win streak.
READ: BOMBA! UE pulls off shocker against defending champion La Salle
“Noong simula, parang ako lang yung naniniwala sa kanila. Pero dahil nagawa nila yun, mas tumaas yung confidence ng mga bata and I’m proud that they’re performing like this.”
Morale has really jumped for the Red Warriors, with a cavalcade of support emerging from game-to-game to backstop the excellence of Precious Momowei. From Wello Lingolingo, John Abate, and Ethan Galang, to name a few, everyone has been out to step up for the Recto crew, as they find themselves among the top teams at the end of the first round.
Curiously, that's the same game which coach Topex Robinson believes his La Salle wards turned the corner.
“It showed us that we’re not as invincible as we think we are. Sometimes, ganoon eh, you believe in your hype that you forget to be humble. And that UE loss really allowed our players to look into themselves and understand that nothing easy’s gonna be given to us,” he said.
Since then, the Green Archers have won three straight, including a huge 68-56 victory over rival University of the Philippines last Sunday to ascend to the top of the standings with their 6-1 record behind the might of MVP frontrunner Kevin Quiambao and Michael Phillips.
This Saturday, these two teams meet again at Smart Araneta Coliseum as they kickstart their second round campaigns this time as contenders on an equal footing.
READ: No sanctions as Topex, Torres just get warnings for alleged spitting incident
There won’t be any surprises this time, with La Salle respecting how good this UE team is.
Heck, for all we know, this 6 p.m. game could be an early preview of the Final Four.
Adamson, FEU battle for a bounce back
In the first game, Adamson (3-4) looks to end its two-game slump, as it battles Far Eastern University (1-6) at 4 p.m.
Despite the back-to-back losses they incurred, the Soaring Falcons have been a dangerous draw for the field, as seen in the surprise victories they pulled off led by Mathew Montebon and Cedrick Manzano.
But the Tamaraws believe they’re also in the same boat, with many underestimating this young crew buoyed by Jorick Bautista and first-year players Mo Konateh and Veejay Pre.
Adamson won over FEU, 59-47, in their first meeting way back in opening weekend.
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