UAAP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Seniors              W      L      Pct
Ateneo                8       1      .889
FEU                     8       1      .889
UST                     5       4      .556
UE                       5       4      .556
La Salle              4       5      .444
NU                       2       7      .222
UP                       2        7      .222
Adamson           2        7      .222

Games on Saturday (The Arena)
2 p.m. — Adamson vs NU
4 p.m. — UP vs La Salle

Its reputation in tatters after three consecutive losses, La Salle tries to get back on the winning track on Saturday when it tangles with University of the Philippines in the UAAP basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

The Green Archers, whose losses include a humiliating 81-65 defeat to rival Ateneo last Sunday, meet the Fighting Maroons at 4 p.m. seeking a repeat of their 73-63 win in the first round.

In the curtain raiser, cellar-dwellers Adamson and National University meet at 2 p.m.

Despite a 4-5 record, a rare record for a team that has reached the finals in 14 of the last 16 years, Pumaren believes that his youth-laden team can still make it a to the Final Four.

La Salle trails third placers University of Santo Tomas and University of the East, both with identical 5-4 records, by a full game.

“Right now we’re in the middle pack but we are still in the hunt for the Final 4. The longer the league the better for us,” said Pumaren, who will entrust his team’s fate on Saturday in the hands of Joshua Webb, Peejay Barua, Maui Villanueva, and rookie big man Arvie Bringas.

But the Taft-based squad will have to play consistent against the Fighting Maroons, whose 2-7 record could fool a lot of people.

UP, behind veteran Woody Co, Martin Reyes, and rookie point guard Mikee Reyes, has shown that it can play the spoiler role as it stunned Ateneo in the first round and pushed UST (twice) and UE to the limit before losing.

Two days ago, the squad of head coach Aboy Castro led a spirited comeback from 31 points down before succumbing to UST, 88-93.

Meanwhile, the Falcons and the Bulldogs will battle for the No. 6 spot.

Adamson looks to bounce back from a 60-56 loss to UE last Sunday while NU absorbed a 76-66 setback to Far Eastern University. In their first round meeting, the Bulldogs beat the Falcons, 76-70.