HoopWatch

Throw away the statistics. Burn the numbers. And forget all the win-loss records. Tomorrow will be another exciting day for the greatest rivalry in Philippine basketball. The Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles will meet the De La Salle University Green Archers for the fourth time this season, in a lone match set at 3pm, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Ateneo holds the edge this season, winning two of their three matches against La Salle. But the Blue Eagles lost the very important game that should have gained them the twice-to-beat advantage, after a bitter loss to already-eliminated National University Bulldogs.

Now Ateneo has no other choice but to win tomorrow to live another game. They are hoping that another player will step up aside from Chris Tiu and Ford Arao. In their win against the UST Growling Tigers, seldom-used Mike Baldos and rookie Nonoy Baclao played big, and helped the Blue Eagles advanced in the step-ladder format.

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