NSAC: The Battle of Taft Is Upon Us with La Salle, CSB

Walk a few meters from the Vito Cruz station on the outskirts of Manila, and you’ll reach the student entrance of the College of Saint Benilde. Take some more steps beyond that, and you’ll have a unique vantage point of not one, but two proud institutions: the CSB edifice on your right, and the edges of the sprawling DLSU campus across the road.

As far as college hoops are concerned, they don’t collide when the UAAP and NCAA campaigns are officially underway. This Sunday, though, is a different story.

Thanks to the basketball kaleidoscope that is Asiabasket NSAC 2026, the Green Archers and the Blazers will get to share the court this weekend. And I don’t mean that in a friendly, “I get reps with my neighbor” type of way. When these two teams square off at the UP Varsity Training Center (a rather ironic venue, don’t you think?), it will be a do-or-die affair as the winner advances to the quarterfinals opposite the FEU Tamaraws.

So, what can fans look forward to as the Battle of Taft unfolds in the Asiabasket playoffs? Here’s what we can expect when these emerald squads duke it out.

Allen Liwag vs. Luis Pablo

For starters, we can expect a slugfest in the frontcourt, featuring two of Taft’s finest big men.

Over the past few seasons, the NCAA has seen an embarrassment of riches in the center position, and the crown jewel right now is two-time reigning MVP Allen Liwag. Let this chiseled specimen catch the ball within five feet of the basket, and it’s two points more often than not. (In the words of DLSU alum Magoo Marjon, may kasama pang foul.)

Luis Pablo, himself an NCAA MVP back in his juniors stint, doesn’t have the same stash of individual accolades in the college ranks. He’s probably not sweating it, though, because he capped off his La Salle homecoming by making timely plays and becoming a vital cog of the Archers’ Season 88 championship run.

Can we get a string of possessions where Liwag and Pablo just go one-on-one on the low block? Their strong finishes, skilled footwork, and battle on the offensive glass are worth the price of admission.

Step Up or Step Aside

While Liwag and Pablo have gotten plenty of shine over the past couple of years, they have quite the number of teammates who are chomping at the bit to make an even bigger mark.

Over on the Benilde side, you have SJ Moore, a high-flying open court specialist who’s always one fastbreak dunk away from going viral. In the La Salle camp, you have Dom Sarmiento, a 6-foot-8 prospect who brings an intimidating presence to the paint in the post-Mike Phillips era.

Has either of these studs scratched his fullest potential? Nope. Will they be a delight to watch as they provide plenty of “oomph” on both ends of the floor? 100%. Preseason tournaments like Asiabasket are always fascinating to watch because young, hungry competitors like Moore and Sarmiento have a chance to fine-tune their skills and earn their minutes.

Look, A Fireworks Display

The last time the Blazers played inside the UP Varsity Training Center, a spitfire guard by the name of Matthew Jucom made the Maroons pay for bungling their pick-and-roll coverage. That afternoon, Jucom topscored for CSB, finishing with 17 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

This is the same Jucom, by the way, who crossed from one side of Taft to the other upon learning from DLSU head coach Topex Robinson that he was unlikely to land a roster spot. “Masasayang lang daw taon ko dito sa La Salle kasi madaming players,” Jucom told ALL-STAR Magazine back in July 2024.

Only Jucom can say whether the DLSU-CSB matchup is a revenge game, but here’s one thing for sure: He won’t be the only Benilde player aiming to take down the Archers with his sharpshooting. Jhomel Ancheta and Ian Torres have the green light to launch from deep, and the La Salle backcourt will have their hands full trying to contain these shooters.

DLSU, of course, is locked and loaded with their own heavy artillery. For my money, Mason Amos is the most fearsome stretch big in the UAAP today, and while defenders are scrambling to put a body on him, Earl Abadam and JC Macalalag are waiting in the wings to catch and shoot.

Who’s Guarding the Two Js?

Until further notice, every scouting report of teams trying to defeat La Salle comes down to one burning question. 

“Yeah, so about this no. 11 guy. Any ideas?”

In UAAP Season 88, Jacob Cortez legitimately became the scariest player to go up against in the clutch. No matter how many film sessions have been devoted to replays of Cool Cub’s slo-mo moves in the paint, there are hardly any defenders who can claim crunchtime success against Cortez.

The Blazers do have options in their arsenal. A bigger body in Justine Sanchez? A long-limbed wing known as Raffy Celis? Each of these players (and, perhaps, a magic bunot or two) could get a turn at trying to slow down DLSU’s premier combo guard.

Then again, the CSB braintrust is smart enough to not overlook the other Red Lion who decided to put on the green and white after winning an NCAA title. The same man who put up 26 points and six rebounds to help San Beda eliminate Benilde from the Final Four just five months ago.

Liwag, Sanchez, and Ancheta had to watch Janti Miller celebrate a victory at their expense the last time they met. On Sunday, they’ll get the chance to turn the tables on their tormentor when the Battle of Taft erupts.