Games on Tuesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
11 a.m. – UPHSD vs Letran (Srs)
2:30 p.m. – San Beda vs CSB (Srs)
FOUR TEAMS, two eyeing to reclaim their throne and the opposite two aiming to finish a championship drought, face off in a pair of titanic best-of-three semifinal matches on Tuesday in NCAA Season 101 on the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD), eyeing its first finals stint since reaching that far 21 seasons ago and a crack at a breakthrough championship in its 41 years within the grand old league, and Colegio de San Juan de Letran, in search of a return to the highest after winning all of it three years back, face off at 11 a.m.
San Beda University, seeking to get back on top after reigning supreme two years before, squares off with College of St. Benilde (CSB), which is in search of a second finals stint and one other attempt at their second crown, at 2:30 p.m.
Game Two is on Friday on the MOA Arena while a deciding Game Three, if crucial, is on Sunday back on the Big Dome.
While the UPHSD Altas will likely be coming in with the higher elimination record, the Letran Knights have an ace up their sleeves — they’ve beaten the previous of their one and only meeting within the group stage, 63-56.
“We just need to have the mentality that we are going to all start from scratch and we would have liked to work harder and play tougher,” said UPHSD coach Olsen Racela.
Letran mentor Allen Ricardo agrees.
“If it’s the playoffs, you throw away every thing and just play for the win,” he said.
For the San Beda Lions, they hope to maintain their mastery over the CSB Blazers, whom the previous have beaten twice within the elims.
But CSB bench tactician Charles Tiu is optimistic of their probabilities.
“Is likely to be the primary time our team will likely be complete facing them this season so I hope it can be a difference this time around, although in fact they can even probably be complete now,” said Mr. Tiu.
“Looking forward to going against them as it can be the third time in 4 years we are going to meet within the playoffs,” he added. — Joey Villar