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By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA--The UAAP men's basketball tournament is making a comeback after a long Halloween break.
And one way to quickly get the hype back is to have the second leg of the Ateneo-La Salle series.
The Blue Eagles and the Green Archers battle it out anew on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City at 4 p.m.
La Salle, already assured of at least a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four looks to inch closer to a 14-0 sweep of the eliminations, which will catapult the team to the outright finals berth.
Ateneo, on the other hand, bats for a better chance of landing the other semifinal edge as the team is two full games behind FEU for second place with four games left in its schedule.
In their first meeting at the Mall of Asia Arena on Oct. 2, the Archers showed why they are the pre-season favorites after mauling the Eagles, 97-81, even without then suspended coach Aldin Ayo and injured captain Jeron Teng. The appearance Ayo and Teng in the team for the rematch could pose more problems for Ateneo.
In the first game at 12 p.m., struggling squads UE and NU collide as they try to salvage their flickering Final Four hopes.
Tickets for both games are separate from each other.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno