Tigers aim for Final Four slot

Games today:

(FilOil EcoOil Centre)

2 p.m. — UP vs FEU

6:30 p.m. — UST vs Adamson

University of Santo Tomas (UST) shoots for a seat in the Final Four against an Adamson University side fighting to stay in contention for a seat in the next round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 87 men’s basketball tournament today at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Holding a 6-7 win-loss record at third spot tied with skidding University of the East (UE), the Growling Tigers only need to win their last game of the eliminations to end a five-year semis drought.

A loss, however, would drag UST into a precarious spot where its Final Four fate would depend on the result of games of other teams still in the thick of the race for a spot in the playoffs.

Currently, the Tigers hold the tiebreaker over the Red Warriors by sweeping their elimination round head-to-head including last week’s 76-67 decision.

“Our team is focused. My players know of every possible scenario we’ll get into this second round,” UST head coach Pido Jarencio said.

If UST secures the No. 3 spot, it will take on twice-to-beat University of the Philippines in the Final Four.

Top seed and twice-to-beat defending champion De La Salle University will take on the No. 4 team in the other semis pairing.

Lurking close behind UST and UE, the Falcons will secure at least a playoff for a Final Four ticket with a victory to hike their current 5-7 record. Mark Escarlote

A loss would pull Adamson into a risky situation as well where it will need to pray that the Red Warriors continue its downward spiral to force a playoff for the last bus ride into the penultimate stage.

“What’s important is that as of right now we’re still alive,” Falcons head coach Nash Racela said.

“That’s something we’ve been telling the players. We always talk about the alignment of the stars. But if we don’t do our part, it will not happen. That’s the challenge we gave them.”

Adamson will play Ateneo on 23 November in a make-up for the postponed 23 October contest due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. UE’s final elims game is against UP on 20 November.

Meanwhile, sporting a 5-8 card, Far Eastern University (FEU) could only hope for the best as they would need to hurdle the Fighting Maroons and wish either the Tigers or the Red Warriors wouldn’t reach seven wins to forge a playoff for No. 4.

Another loss will mean the end of FEU’s first season under new coach Sean Chambers.