SAN BEDA returns to familiar ground as it battles Perpetual Help at the start of the Season 90 Final Four of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on Wednesday at the MOA Arena.
The Red Lions, eyeing a fifth straight crown, hold a twice-to-beat advantage over the Altas in the 2 p.m. game for emerging as the No. 1 seed after the double-round eliminations.
Arellano University, on the other hand, is venturing into unchartered waters.
The Chiefs are in the semifinals for the first time as the No. 2 seeds and are pitted against season hosts Jose Rizal University (JRU) Bombers in the 4 p.m. clash. Like San Beda, Arellano University only needs to win on Wednesday to advance to the finals.
The juniors Final Four also has San Beda in the picture. The Red Cubs, winners in the last five seasons but seeded second this time around, own the same twice-to-beat edge over the Letran Squires in the 6 p.m. match. The other half of the semifinals starting at 12 noon pits No. 1 Mapua-Malayan High School of Science against JRU.
The Red Lions and the Altas are squaring off in the semifinals for the third straight season. But entering their matchup, San Beda Head Coach Boyet Fernandez and his Perpetual Help counterpart Aric del Rosario are apprehensive about each other’s teams.
“I believe Perpetual Help is a really tough team. They have the three best individual players in the league. First, they have Earl Thompson and Harold Arboleda, the Nos. 1 and 2 in the Most Valuable Player race and they have the league’s No. 1 scorer Juneric Baloria,” Fernandez said. Diego de la Paz
For Del Rosario, San Beda is a tough nut for them to finally crack.
“San Beda has the edge in terms of experience as they fought in the finals for consecutive years. Even though they’re not that strong as before, their resolve is still whole. It’s hard to beat a team when their resolve is whole,” del Rosario said.