MANILA -- Blood rivals Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle will try to score a second victory in three outings as they tackle separate foes Sunday afternoon at the Phil Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Set to tangle with Ateneo in the 2 p.m. opener is University of Santo Tomas, whose wards are raring to maintain its poise following an unexpected demolition of highly-favored University of the East, 80-67, last July 10.

Norman Black, the defending champion’s mentor, admitted that every game in the 73rd UAAP season gets tougher.

“I’m not into records, I just look at the next game ahead of me and I focus on that, whatever happened in the past, I left it at that,” he said.

Third year Nico Salva, skipper Eric Salamat, Ryan Buenafe and Eman Monfort will call the shots for the Katipunan-based squad while UST mentor Pido Jarencio had sophomore Jeric Teng and Clark Bautista to do the job.

Meantime, La Salle will try to erase from its memory their hapless surrender to a resurgent National University last week by upending a winless UE quintet in the 4 p.m. main event. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)