Action between Ateneo and Adamson in the first round of the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum on September 22, 2024. UAAP Media/FileMANILA -- Ateneo de Manila University will try to play the spoiler's role as Adamson University looks to keep alive its Final 4 chances in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament on Saturday.
Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, in the lone men's basketball game of the day.
The Blue Eagles enter with a 4-9 win-loss record and on the heels of a long break, having dealt University of the East a blow when they held on for a 71-67 win last November 13.
That result gave life to the Soaring Falcons (5-8), who must now beat Ateneo to tie the Red Warriors' record and force a playoff for a spot in the Final 4. However, a loss to the Blue Eagles will eliminate Adamson from the Final 4 race for the fifth season in a row.
"I always have a soft spot for our opponents and our competitors. Jack (Santiago) is a great guy and he's had a great year this year. They came under a rough patch this second half of the season. They surprised everybody this year with the quality of basketball they played and how they played it. I think they are a deserving playoff team," Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said.
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The Red Warriors will be hoping that Ateneo pulls off the win. They are currently mired in a second half slump, having lost five of their last six games after an impressive 5-2 start.
Ateneo has derailed Adamson's Final Four aspirations in the last two seasons.
The Blue Eagles drubbed the Falcons, 70-48, in the do-or-die playoff last year, ending Jerom Lastimosa's final UAAP season on a sad note.
With nothing to play but the No. 1 ranking late in 2022, Ateneo still played with a lot of pride, dragging Adamson to a sudden death match with La Salle for No. 4 following a 66-61 victory. The Green Archers then eliminated the Falcons in the playoff, 80-76.
"You respect your opponent and you respect yourself and you can only do that if you go out and give it your best shot every game. That's what we did today, and that's what you can expect from us in the final game against Adamson," said Baldwin.
The Blue Eagles hope to force a four-way tie from fifth to eighth spots at 5-9, making the first time in the Final Four era that no bottom team will end up with double-digit losses.
Far Eastern University and National University, with similar 5-9 records, ended their seasons with victories which Ateneo hopes to duplicate.
The Green Archers, the defending champions who topped the eliminations with a 12-2 record, will play the No. 4 team in the Final Four armed with a twice-to-beat advantage.
Second-ranked University of the Philippines (11-3), which also has a twice-to-beat bonus, and No. 3 University of Santo Tomas (7-7) in the other half of the Final Four.
In the women's division, the Lady Bulldogs gun for an outright Finals berth via 14-game sweep as they play the Lady Tamaraws at 8 a.m.
The back-to-back title seeking Tigresses, who are assured of a No. 2 ranking in the step-ladder or traditional Final Four format, take on the Lady Archers at 10 a.m.
In a potential step-ladder preview at 12 noon, the Lady Falcons and the Blue Eagles clash with final semifinals placings at stake.
The Fighting Maroons and the Lady Warriors collide in a battle of also-rans at 2 p.m. to wrap up the women's action.
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