Four North-Central Luzon champions join battle for Sweet 16 slot

MANILA, Philippines—Four champion teams will dispute a Sweet 16 slot when the North-Central Luzon regional championship of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) kicks off this Monday in Vigan City.

The University of Northern Philippines, champion of the Schools Colleges Universities Athletic Association, hosts the two-day, round-robin duel also featuring the University of Cordillera, La Union College of Nursing Arts and Sciences and University of Pangasinan.

The Cordillera five ruled the Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League, the La Union squad topped the Student Body Organization Athletic Association and the Pangasinan team dominated the the Universities and Colleges Athletic Association of Pangasinan.

Four other regional qualifying tournaments are lined up this month in Metro Manila, South Luzon-Bicol, Mindanao and the Visayas.

Four-time UAAP champion Ateneo and back-to-back NCAA titlist San Beda earned outright Final Four berths, while eight other squads have been seeded to the Sweet 16.

PCCL executive director Joe Lipa said the Sweet 16 teams will clash in a new step-ladder format.

Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) finalists University of Cebu and Southwestern University recently advanced to the Sweet 16 along with UAAP semifinalists Far Eastern University, Adamson and University of Santo Tomas, and the NCAA’s Final Four, San Sebastian, Letran and Jose Rizal University.