Letran, San Beda, Mapua, JRU, Perpetual, Arellano—all in the running for a final four berth. Photos by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Six teams. Four spots. Two more weeks.
With two more games left in each of the contenders’ schedule, the race to the Final Four of the NCAA Season 91 men’s basketball tournament is about to heat up even more.
With six teams sitting closely beside each other in the standings, it’s still a tossup on who will advance to this season’s playoffs.
READ: JRU stays in hunt for NCAA Final Four
Friday’s triple-header featuring the final four lived up to the expecations and the victors came away with huge dividends.
Jose Rizal University’s 62-60 conquest over Perpetual kept it in the running for a spot in the semifinals.
The victory also tied the Heavy Bombers with Mapua, which saw its six-game winning streak come to a sudden stop after absorbing a 75-65 defeat at the hands of San Beda.
Letran closed out the busy gameday with an 87-81 victory over Arellano.
READ: NCAA: Letran frustrates Arellano to share top spot with San Beda
Both sporting a 12-4 card, league leaders San Beda and Letran assured themselves a playoff in the Final Four, and one more win assures each team a spot in the semifinals.
However, getting there won’t be easy.
The Red Lions face a vengeful Arellano side, aching to take itself out of the three-way logjam at the fourth spot.
Meanwhile, the Knights gear up for a dangerous Perpetual side, which is currently at third with a 11-5 slate.
After those tough games, San Beda and Letran renew their rivalry as the two squads finish the eliminations with a bang.
READ: Dela Cruz stars as San Beda halts Mapua’s 6-game win streak
Though currently at third, the Altas also need a strong windup to get themselves out of the woods.
Perpetual brace for the pesky San Sebastian squad first before a date with Letran next week.
Arellano also wants to bounce back after suffering back-to-back losses to Mapua and Letran. The Chiefs go up against San Beda before wrapping up their schedule with a game against also-ran Emilio Aguinaldo College.
On paper, it seems like Mapua and JRU enjoy an easier schedule with eliminated squads with the Cardinals facing the Generals and St. Benilde and the Heavy Bombers squaring off with the Lycuem and the Stags.
However, no team is safe as shown by the Golden Stags in their 98-92 upset of San Beda on Tuesday.