Wild UAAP Final 4 race
UE big men Gino Jumao-as and Charles Mamie thwart Almond Vosotros of La Salle in Wednesday’s game won by the Warriors. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
The UAAP elimination round heads into a wild windup as Final Four slots and twice-to-beat incentives remain up for grabs in the last two playdates.
Right after the eliminations, there will be a playoff for the No. 2 spot, which comes with a twice-to-beat incentive. And possibly, another playoff match for the last Final Four berth.
“Everyone’s chasing a game here and there,” said La Salle coach Juno Sauler. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s going to be a circus for the teams that are involved.”
Ateneo and Far Eastern University, the only teams assured of semifinal seats with similar 10-3 records, will clash on Saturday for the No. 1 seed and the first twice-to-beat advantage.
The loser of that match will head into a playoff for the No. 2 spot against the winner of the La Salle-National University game also on Saturday.
Tied at 9-4, both the Archers and the Bulldogs have a shot at going as high as No. 2 and earn the other twice-to-beat edge. But a loss may even put them in danger of crashing out of the Final Four.
The losing team in the NU-La Salle duel will drop to fourth place, but will have to wait a few more days to find out if it would advance to the semifinals.
If University of the East, running fifth at 8-5, wins over the eliminated University of Santo Tomas at the end of eliminations on Tuesday, the Warriors will grab a share of fourth place.
In this scenario, there will be another playoff for the last Final Four berth between UE and the loser of the NU-La Salle battle.
Coaches of the five contending teams, though, don’t want to look too far ahead.
“We want to run our own race,” said NU coach Eric Altamirano. “What’s important is we take care of our own business and we’ll see from there.”
The Warriors hope to sustain their improbable rise after pulling off three straight shockers over topnotch teams NU, FEU and La Salle.
“We still have to take care of things on Tuesday,” coach Derrick Pumaren said of his Warriors, who, just two weeks ago, looked out of the running.
“We can’t be too happy. Big wins for us, but we’re not there yet.”
