Skidding Eagles try to avoid deep pit against rival Archers

Ateneo and La Salle look beyond their rivalry as the two traditional adversaries clash for the first time this season in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

In campaigns marked by early struggles, the Blue Eagles and Green Archers aim for more important goals in their 4 p.m. battle at Mall of Asia Arena today.

“The pressure is that we’re 0-2, it’s not even La Salle,” said Ateneo coach Bo Perasol as the five-time champions try to avoid an alarming 0-3 skid minus main man Kiefer Ravena.  “It’s almost a must win for us. We need to get that to get our systems back again.”

The Green Archers go for a second win in three outings, with coach Juno Sauler also putting premium on his squad learning his system.

“I’m not looking at wins and losses, I’m looking at the team improving on a daily basis,” said Sauler, who took over just three weeks before the tournament.

“It’s a big change when we started. Every practice, we keep adding stuff and improving on what we’re doing. Hopefully, when the second round comes in, everything I want to put in will be there because it’s also hard for them to grasp if we put in too much.”

Tickets for the blockbuster match are sold separately from the 11 a.m. first game between Far Eastern University and University of the Philippines.

Overlooked for most of the preseason, the Tamaraws try to extend their winning run to three games behind the star guard trio of RR Garcia, Terrence Romeo and Mike Tolomia.

The Blue Eagles, though, have to do without their  topnotch guard as Ravena will have to sit out anew due to injury.

“He’s still recovering from a severe ankle sprain and is listed as day to day,” Ateneo team officials said in a statement released Friday night.

La Salle’s go-to guy Jeron Teng hopes the Archers can build on their 96-84 triumph over UP after opening their bid with an overtime setback to University of Santo Tomas, 63-58.

“Thankfully we got this win to get our confidence back coming into the Ateneo game,” said Teng, who unloaded 20 points against the Maroons.

Fil-Am rookie Jason Perkins also sustained his strong plays for the Archers and got away with a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds.

For the Blue Eagles, Ryan Buenafe emerged in the absence of Ravena as the former Finals MVP dropped a career-high 29 points and 15 rebounds against the Tamaraws.

Although the Eagles wound up absorbing their second straight loss in overtime, 79-75, Perasol was glad that his crew came out fighting this time.