SAN BEDA eyes an 11th straight finals appearance, while Arellano University hopes to return to the championship series as they clash with University of Perpetual Help and Mapúa, respectively, in the Final Four of the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association seniors basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Red Lions topped the eliminations for the 11th year in a row after beating the Chiefs, 80-73, in a playoff last Tuesday. They will try to to barge to the finals when they collide with the No. 4 Altas at 2 p.m.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, wound up No. 2 and will tackle reigning Most Valuable Player Allwell Oraeme and the No. 3 Cardinals at 4 p.m. eyeing nothing less than a return trip to the best-of-three championship series. They made the finals for the first time two seasons ago but were swept by the Red Lions.
San Beda and Arellano University each own a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals. A deciding game, if necessary, is set on Tuesday also at the MOA Arena.
“This is good because you want to go to the playoffs with a win, that’s momentum coming in,” said San Beda Coach Jamike Jarin, who also steered his team to the finals on his rookie season before falling to Letran in three games.
San Beda is tipped to beat Perpetual Help, a team it swept this season and beat in the Final Four three straight times from 2012 to 2014.
The Red Lions, however, would have to handle athletic Nigerian Bright Akhuetie, who will return after a team-imposed suspension for a disagreement with team consultant Nosa Omorogbe in one of their practices last week.
“I’m just focusing on playing and leaving everythin behind now,” said the 19-year-old Akhutie, who has averaged 18 .4 points (third best in the league), 12.3 rebounds (fourth) and 1.7 blocks (fifth).
Akhuetie and the 6-foot-11 Prince Eze, another Nigerian, are expected to pound their way inside against a smaller San Beda side, which lost Cameroonian banger Donald Tankoua for the rest of the season because of a torn right ACL he sustained early in the second round.