Knights reach Final Four; Lions oust Cardinals

A doubleheader carrying Final Four significance straightened out a few details in the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday.

Letran became the first team through to the semifinals after subduing Emilio Aguinaldo College, 84-77, at Filoil EcoOil Arena

A game later, San Beda exacted revenge on the team that slammed the Finals door on its face last season, eliminating Mapua from Final Four contention with a 71-63 victory.

The Knights logged their 12th win in 15 games to make the semifinals and take a major step toward defending their crown.

“Playing a team with nothing to lose is hard. The pressure was not on them, it was on us,” coach Bonnie Tan said.

The Red Lions, who improved to 10-5, turned the table against the Cardinals who bounced them out of the playoffs last season.

“Mapua was the one who eliminated them last season so I did not need to [motivate the players],” said coach Yuri Escueta. INQ