Ateneo Blue Eagles, FEU Tamaraws say Final 4 duels too close to call

Chris Newsome of Ateneo and Michael Tolomia of FEU goes after the ball, at the Smart Araneta. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/AUGUST DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo and Far Eastern University may be armed with twice-to-beat incentives, but the two top seeds expect even matchups in the Final Four of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

Although the Blue Eagles need to win only once to advance to the title series, they have to do it against the only team they haven’t beaten since last season— the National University Bulldogs.

“We know they have the psychological advantage,” Ateneo star Kiefer Ravena said of the Bulldogs, who swept the Eagles in the two-round eliminations last year and again this season. “But despite all the heartbreaks NU has given us the last two years, I think we can bounce back.”

The No. 1 Eagles clash with the fourth-ranked Bulldogs at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

On Saturday, the No. 2 Tamaraws battle No. 3 La Salle in the other semifinal pairing at 4 p.m. at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Tamaraws seem to have everything going for them against the Archers, having won the semifinal bonus in a playoff last Sunday and raising their record over the defending champions at 3-0.

“For two years, they’re (Archers) the ones who have been eliminating us in the Final Four,” said FEU’s ace guard Mike Tolomia. “So since the start of the season, we’ve been really preparing for them.”

Still, FEU coach Nash Racela knows the series can go either way as they have only had an average winning margin of 4.6 points in those three wins over La Salle.

“We haven’t achieved anything yet,” said Racela. “I reminded the players not to celebrate too much because we still need another win to make it to the Finals.”

NU coach Eric Altamirano also warns of overconfidence even if his squad holds a 4-0 card over the Eagles since last season.

“When it’s the Final Four, there’s really no advantage,” said Altamirano. “Everything will even out.”

La Salle coach Juno Sauler also sees a fresh start for his team even if their back-to-back title hopes are now in peril.

“That’s done with,” Sauler said of the teams’ head-to-head encounters. “What’s important is we focus on the next game.”