THREE teams try to join a crowded leaderboard in an interesting UAAP Season 89 collegiate men’s basketball Wednesday doubleheader at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Asian Games silver medalists Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo, Amyah Español and Victoria Pasilang of Far Eastern University, and Kennan Ka of the University of the Philippines return to their respective schools as the collegiate women’s basketball tournament features a triple-header. University of Santo Tomas shoots for its first back-to-back victories of the season when it takes on winless University of the East, which is trying to adjust under interim coach Paulo Hubalde, at 3 p.m. Defending champion De La Salle University seeks to regain its winning ways when it tangles with Far Eastern University, which is also gunning for a second straight win, in the 5:30 p.m. main game. Things are getting tight this early, with National University, the University of the Philippines and Ateneo locked in a three-way tie for first place at 2-1. After dropping its season opener to the Fighting Maroons, UST lived up to its preseason billing by beating the Green Archers, 80-75, last Sept. 16. Coach Pido Jarencio, who steered UST to its 18th and most recent championship in 2006, wants his troops to simply go with the flow and perform at their best. “Actually, there’s no pressure on us. For us, we’re just going to play. A lot of people are saying our team is strong, [but] our team isn’t really that strong. Sure, we managed to beat La Salle, but we’re not strong. As long as we work as a team, as a single unit, that’s where we’re strong,” Jarencio said. Hubalde, meanwhile, wants to get the Red Warriors back to basics and restore their confidence as they try to end a three-game skid. UE has been outscored by a combined 70 points in its three losses this season. “For me, I just want to boost their confidence. They have to know they can compete with this team. My main objective for the kids is to bring out their confidence,” Hubalde said. Chambers, meanwhile, wants his Tamaraws to temper their expectations after splitting their first two games of the season. Coming off a 93-70 win over UE following two weeks of rest, FEU hopes to avoid a repeat of last year, when it had to play catch-up after a difficult first round before falling short of a Final Four berth.