Ateneo eyes No. 13, battles NU; Adamson, UST in key duel

MANILA—Ateneo coach Norman Black admits to the pressure of staying on top as his Blue Eagles try to move within a win of an elimination sweep in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament Saturday.

Still toting a perfect card, the Eagles go for win No. 13 against National University at 1 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“It’s a challenge trying to keep them up every game, I can’t lie about that,” said Black. “It’s a challenge to keep them healthy, to make them fresh. But if there’s anything I’m proud of in this run we’ve had the past few years is our energy.”

The three-time champions only need to win two more games to complete a 14-game elimination sweep, which guarantees an outright berth in the Finals.

Adamson coach Leo Austria, meanwhile, worries about his team’s overconfidence when the second-running Falcons battle the University of Santo Tomas at 3 p.m.

Although his Falcons are assured of a Final Four slot with a 9-3 record, Austria said the team’s main goal is to secure the remaining twice-to-beat semifinal advantage.

“I keep telling the players that we’re not there yet, that we can’t relax,” said Austria.

Only the Eagles have put a lock on the No. 1 spot and the twice-to-beat bonus, the incentive given to the top two teams at the end of the eliminations.

But if Black’s wards pull off a sweep, the Eagles go straight to the Finals, leaving the three other top finishers to tangle in a step-ladder semifinals. In this scenario, the No. 2 squad still holds a twice-to-beat edge.

A victory by the Falcons will assure them at least a playoff for the twice-to-beat bonus.