NCAA Final Four tips off Tuesday with teams on level terms
Letran Knights during a game against Perpetual Help Altas in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament. –NCAA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Only four teams remain in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament and they all begin the semifinal round on equal footing.
Unlike the quarterfinals where the top two teams from Groups A and B held twice-to-beat advantages, the semis will have an even playing field with best-of-three series in tow.
READ: NCAA: Letran aims to contain Perpetual’s top threats in Final Four
On one side, Group A juggernaut Perpetual Help will take on Letran.
The Altas successfully put their twice-to-beat incentive to good use after defeating Jose Rizal University in the quarters, 81-74.
The Knights, meanwhile, had a much harder route, trouncing Arellano twice, Group A’s second seed, which also had a twice-to-beat advantage.
With Perpetual and Letran set to clash, coach Allen Ricardo is hellbent on knowing their enemy before they go on a race for two wins in the semis.
“They have Patrick Sleat and (Mark) Gojo Cruz, who are the heart and soul of that team. We need to limit those two to have a good chance of closing the game and winning the series,” he said after Letran’s 77-69 win over the Chiefs on Friday.
READ: NCAA: Benilde shuts down Escamis in ousting Mapua
Both squads only faced off once in the elimination round due to them being in different groups with Letran winning their lone matchup in the classification, 63-56.
The other Final Four matchup will be a clash of Group B titans, College of St. Benilde and San Beda.
Unlike the Letran and Perpetual series, the Blazers and the Red Lions met twice in the previous round with San Beda victorious on both occasions.
Benilde coach Charles Tiu hopes to change that in hopes of returning to the Finals for the second straight year.
“They’ve beaten us twice already so I hope this time, it’ll be our turn… We have to look forward to San Beda, they’re a great team,” Tiu said.
The NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball Final Four tips off Tuesday at Araneta Coliseum.
