HOLY Trinity College advanced to the regional games after topping the Mindanao leg of the 2015 National Collegiate Championship (NCC) recently in Zamboanga del Sur.
Representing General Santos City, the HTC Wildcats will head to Ormoc City for the Visayas-Mindanao qualifying games on Dec. 4 to 7, where they will be up against other leg qualifiers led by Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) runners-up University of Visayas and University of San Jose-Recoletos.
The Wildcats tripped St. Columbian College of host Pagadian City, 86-79, in the Mindanao leg finals.
St. John Paul II College of Davao, meanwhile, trounced Southern City College of Zamboanga, 98-65, in the battle for third place
The winner of the Vis-Min qualifying games will advance to the Elite Eight in Manila on Dec. 14 to 17.
NCAA champion Letran Knights and runner-up San Beda College and Cesafi champion, University of San Carlos already earned outright slots in the final eight.
Also assured of seats are UAAP Finals protagonists University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University, the Visayas-Mindanao qualifiers winner and the top two squads in the Luzon-Metro Manila qualifiers.
Last year, San Beda College ruled the annual competition that gathers the top varsity teams nationwide.
The winner of the tournament, organized and managed by the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL), receives the M. V. Pangilinan perpetual trophy “Abutin Ang Tagumpay.”
Champions of the regional games will advance to the qualifying games where they will fight for berths in the Elite Eight.
Set to wrap up today is the South Luzon-Bicol regionals in Tanauan City, Batangas, and Naga City, while the North-Central Luzon is slated Nov. 30 to Dec. 5 in Dagupan City.