De La Salle enters Saturdayโs matchup knowing exactly whatโs at stake: beat the defending champions again, or watch their Final Four dreams slip toward the edge. At 6โ6, the Green Archers are clinging to the fourth spot, and a repeat victory over the 10โ3 UP Fighting Maroons at the Smart Araneta Coliseum would give them a firmer hold on the last semifinals berth. But the task wonโt be easyโUP is chasing more than revenge; theyโre hunting for the No. 1 seed and momentum heading into the postseason.
La Salle is coming off back-to-back heartbreakers, both lost by a single point, exposing how much theyโve missed key weapons Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan. With offensive rhythm sputtering, the scoring load fell almost entirely on Vhoris Marasigan and EJ Gollena in their last outing. The Archers edged UP in Round 1 behind Luis Pabloโs standout performance, but the Maroons have since reloaded. Gerry Abadiano, fresh from steering UP past Ateneo, says the teamโs mindset is simple: consistency, effort, and execution. With Nnoruka, Remogat, Torres, Stevens, and company all locked in, State U is poised to push the tempo and spoil La Salleโs path to the Final Four.
Meanwhile, the undercard game adds more intrigue to the jostling in the standings. FEU (5โ7) aims to keep its own semifinal hopes alive against winless UE, looking to build on their dramatic win over La Salle. Rising talents Janrey Pasaol, Jorick Bautista, and Mo Konateh will anchor the Tamaraws against a Red Warriors squad desperate to finally break an 18-game losing streak. With three teams fighting for one spot, every possession countsโSaturdayโs double-header could reshape the entire semifinal picture.
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