NCC dangles three more Elite 8 seats

THREE more slots are up for grabs in the Elite Eight of the the 2015 National Collegiate Championship (NCC).

Teams from the Luzon-Metro Manila and Visayas-Mindanao qualifying games will fight for the remaining berths next week, where the winners will join the champions and runners-up of three premier collegiate leagues.

Last year’s UAAP champion National University and NCAA semifinalists Mapua and Jose Rizal University banner the Luzon-Metro Manila qualifiers slated Dec. 9 to 13 at TIP gym in Manila and Faith gym in Tanauan, Batangas.

The Visayas-Mindanao qualifying games, meanwhile, are set on Dec. 8 to 10 in Ormoc City.

NCAA champion Letran and runner-up San Beda, UAAP finalists Far Eastern University and University of Santo Tomas, and Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) winner University of San Carlos  earned outright berths in the Elite Eight.

Joe Lipa, the executive director of event organizer Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL), said the Luzon-Metro Manila games will be shown live on ABS-CBN Sports and Action.

Other teams vying for the top two slots in the Luzon-Metro Manila qualifiers are Olivarez College, Technical Institute of the Philippines, St. Clare College, PATTS and the winners of the North-Central Luzon and the South Luzon-Bicol regional games.
Olivarez College is the latest addition to the qualifying round after ruling the recent South Luzon-Bicol regional games.

Olivarez outlasted host Naga College Foundation, 78-74, to earn a slot in the  Luzon-MM qualifiers.  Jasmine W. Payo