FACING rival and defending champ De La Salle, Ateneo de Manila looks to continue its strong start in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena Wednesday. The Blue Eagles face the Green Archers at 6 p.m. in the main event of the day, ticketed separately from the first game between Adamson and National University at 2:30 p.m. Leading Ateneo to a 3-1 start for a share of the standings lead with Far Eastern University, coach Louie Alas emphasized healing for the Eagles rather than focusing on facing their rivals. Ateneo is enjoying a good start including an 87-76 win against NU last Saturday. This follows a gloomy offseason centered on the deaths of players Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia in a training camp in Dipaculao, Aurora last June. "He's a good coach (coach Topex Robinson). The way we prepared for our previous games, we'll do the same or even prepare harder," said Alas. "Coaching Ateneo is big already. The important thing for me is, like I said, the healing. It's easier to heal when you're winning so that's the big motivation. We'll try to prepare as hard as we can." Alas and Robinson were together in Alaska and Phoenix in the PBA. Now, they lead the protagonists in one of Philippine collegiate basketball's biggest rivalries. “Every, I guess, as a whole, every Ateneo-La Salle game is a different animal," said Robinson, whose team split its season-series against Ateneo last year. "It doesn’t matter where you are at the standings. It doesn’t matter who you’re up against on the other side of the bench. It’s always gonna be something that we always look forward to. "Coach Louie has been part of my growth as a coach as well. We've been together when we were in Alaska. We were together in Phoenix. A lot of my learnings came from him. It's really going to be a very exciting experience for me as a young coach." La Salle is coming off a 112-87 decimation of University of the East last Sunday to snap a 2-game skid and rise to 2-2, tied with NU, UST, and UP from third to sixth places.  Leading the way for Ateneo are rookie and Alas' son Kieffer as well as Jared Bahay who take on the Jacob Cortez and Mason Amos-led La Salle.