THE mission is simple for top seed Mapua University and No. 2 College of St. Benilde: Win tomorrow and advance to the Big Dance.
The Cardinals and the Blazers, armed with twice-to-beat advantages, take on the Lyceum Pirates and defending champions San Beda University Red Lions in the Final Four of the 100th NCAA basketball tournament at The Astrodome in Pasay.
Mapua battles fourth-ranked Lyceum in the curtain-raiser duel at 11 a.m. while the showdown between second-seed CSB and No. 3 San Beda is set at 2:30 p.m.
“Walang sawa iyong mga coaches, ipinapanood sa kanila (players) iyong mga games namin, kung saan kami nagkamali and ang maganda lang, sumusunod sila at na-realize nila kung saan kami mahina, kung saang department kami natatalo,” Cards coach Randy Alcantara said. “Pero sabi ko nga, iyong rebounds saka iyong hustle, iyon iyong malaki sa amin, saka iyong defensive rotation.
“Alam naman natin na si (Clint) Escamis and (Marc) Cuenco can score pero once na na-involve iyong iba with their extra effort and iyong teamwork, iyon ang mga dagdag,” he added.
If Mapua and the Blazers finish off their foes, Game 1 of the best-of-three finals will be played on Dec. 1 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A knockout tiff or tiffs, if necessary, is set on Wednesday, Nov. 27, at the same venue.
The Pirates will lean on John Barba along with Renz Villegas, Vincent Cuanan, Jonathan Dialeg and JM Bravo
“Hindi madali iyon, of course. Sana kung we could’ve gotten iyong top two spots (ngayon). But again, still, feel very blessed that we’re in the Final Four,” Lions strategist Yuri Escueta, who will bank on graduating Yukien Andrada along with Jomel Puno, Bryan Sajonia, Bismarck Lina and James Payosing, said.
“But it’s going to be a challenge, so we have to prepare well and just focus on one game first.”
Escueta added he is wary of former Bedans and now CSB stars Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez and Gab Cometa along with big man Allen Liwag, Jhomel Ancheta and Mark Sangco
“Well, of course, si (Jhomel) Ancheta tsaka si (Allen) Liwag, iyong three former Bedans that always played well against us,” he said. “Sana mabawasan lang iyong court antics (and) at the same time ‘yung, of course, from our crowd. Sana mas maganda lang iyong interaction between both teams.”
