SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines — De La Salle University and Far Eastern University start UAAP Season 76’s postseason festivities with a virtual best-of-three affair on Saturday, September 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Log-jammed at the two and three positions, the Green Archers and Tamaraws go all out today for the remaining twice-to-beat edge.
DLSU Green Archers (10-4) vs FEU Tamaraws (10-4)
Game time – 4:00 PM
Season series: 1-1
First round: FEU 83, DLSU 79
READ: FEU zooms late to nip La Salle
Second round: DLSU 75, FEU 66
READ: No more meltdowns: La Salle survives FEU
Why DLSU will win: La Salle swept the second round and there’s no one who could stop them right now. They’re riding on superb momentum and their focus heading into the playoffs remains unscathed.
Jason Perkins, arguably the best newcomer this season, will again be a match-up problem for FEU’s side. Jeron Teng has been steady in the second round too, and if the game is on the line, he’s one player on the Green Archers roster who can deliver the punches. Almond Vosotros will still be able to find his shot no matter how hard it is to find rhythm. The twin tower duo of Norbert Torres and Arnold Van Opstal will impose their bulk inside and lastly, coach Juno Sauler—the master of adjustments—will avoid any meltdown to help steer the Taft-based squad to greater heights.
Why FEU will win: The Tamaraws are coming off a two-game win streak which helped them recover their playoff form. UAAP MVP Terrence Romeo is out to prove he’s deserving of the distinction, having exploded for back-to-back 30-point games.
Aside from him, FEU’s got two more amazing backcourt heroes in RR Garcia and Mike Tolomia, who’ve also led the Morayta 5 in scoring. When it comes to the frontcourt, FEU likes shuffling most of their big men to find the perfect blend. They have defenders in Christian Sentcheu and Anthony Hargrove, while Gryann Mendoza, Carl Cruz, and Mac Belo give them extra offense. Coach Nash Racela is at the helm of their aspirations to reach the final round.
Key match-up:
Jeron Teng (14.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.6 APG) vs Terrence Romeo (22.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.9 APG)
They lead their teams in scoring this season. Just give the leather to either of the two and they can torch you from anywhere on the court. Teng has been terrific in the second round, especially in leading La Salle during crunch time. He upped almost every aspect of his game to prove that he can carry his team down the wire. Likewise, Romeo loves scoring in succession because it keeps him motivated. In this game, the two may account for a big portion of their squads’ total output so the teams must take care of both gunners.
More than their offense, all eyes will be on Teng and Romeo’s decision-making which will spell the difference for this tussle.
X-factors:
DLSU: Arnold Van Opstal
FEU: Mac Belo
Two premium choices for this season’s Most Improved Player tag slug it out in the shaded area. Arnold Van Opstal is having the season of his life, fully utilizing his height and giving the Green Archers the presence underneath. Mac Belo, meanwhile, has been a revelation for the Tamaraws. He’s the fourth leading scorer for FEU and whenever their guards are on a slump, it’s Belo who’s there to anchor the team’s offense.
In this match, these two big men will play vital roles on both ends of the floor for their respective squads.
What this game means:. It’s a knockout game to decide who’s going to have the higher seeding. Both teams are already in the Final Four but if you’re DLSU or FEU, you want to be in a better position of having the twice-to-beat incentive to have a stronger chance of making it to the finals. – Rappler.com
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