Mapua University and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde will aim to arrange their first-ever finals duel when they tackle separate foes on Saturday in the NCAA Season 100 Final Four round.
The higher-ranked Cardinals and the Blazers, both armed with twice-to-beat advantages, take on host school Lyceum of the Philippines University at 11 a.m. and reigning champion San Beda University at 2:30 p.m., respectively, at the Cuneta Astrodome.
History is on the line for all four squads.
For one, the top-seeded Mapua is looking to put an end to a dreadful title drought that has been seeing them go title-less for the past 33 years.
A win by the Cardinals will send them to the finals for the third time in the last four seasons and a victory there will deliver the school's first title since 1991, where the Cardinals defeated the Red Lions to complete back-to-back titles.
Standing in their way, however, are the hungry and the motivated Pirates.
Similar to Mapua, LPU is also coming off a long winning streak after emerging victorious in its last four outings, including an 82-81 upset of Benilde to formalize their Final Four entry, as the Pirates continue their bid for an elusive breakthrough title.
Both squads are drawing inspiration from what transpired to their campaigns last year, where the Cardinals and the Pirates absorbed heartbreaks against San Beda.
San Beda first hurdled LPU and a twice-to-win disadvantage before setting up a date with Mapua in the finals, which the Red Lions would also reign supreme in to cop the Season 99 title.
"Mag-iiba ‘yung takbo dahil katulad ng LPU, siyempre sila rin galing sa [sakit] last year so iba rin ‘yung motivation nila, iba rin ‘yung paghuhugutan nila. Ang maganda diyan, controlled pa namin," Mapua coach Randy Alcantara said.
"Ang daming scorers eh, like (Renz) Villegas and (John) Barba, tapos ‘yung pagbabalik ni (JM) Bravo malaking impact din ‘yun. Kailangan naming trabahuhin ‘yun. ‘’Yung Daileg ‘yan din magiging katulong nila, kailangan talaga maging active kami."
In the second game, Benilde will look to extend its mastery of San Beda for a shot to make the finals again since their Season 98 title loss to Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
The Blazers and the Red Lions are both out to bounce back from losses in their final assignments in the elimination round after Benilde bowed to Mapua and LPU to drop two of their last three games while San Beda is reeling from a three-game slide to Letran, Benilde, and San Sebastian.
In their two elimination round meetings, Benilde got the better of San Beda after pulling off a 70-65 overtime victory in the first round before eking out a 70-62 escape in the second round.
But all these are now bygones for either camp.
All eyes will be on former Red Lions Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez, and Gab Cometa as well as MVP frontrunner Allen Liwag as they look to dethrone San Beda, which is looking to go for back-to-back feats behind the leadership of Yukien Andrada, Jomel Puno, Bismarck Lina, and Bryan Sajonia.
A Benilde victory will carry them to the championship round where the Blazers will have a chance to end a 24-year title dry spell.
"Tough test for us but I guess if you want to be the champions you have to go through them," Benilde coach Charles Tiu said.
"We need to be better than the last time we faced them. They are a great team with a great coach and staff. Respect them a lot."
If and when both Mapua and Benilde win their respective games, they will carve their place in history books as that would mean the first time the two schools would meet in the finals.
It will also mark the first time that there would be a finals without either San Beda or Letran in it since Season 80 in 2004, where Philippine Christian University swept University of Perpetual Help System DALTA to win the title.
A potential Mapua-Benilde finals series will also witness the first non-San Beda or non-Letran champion since Season 85 in 2009, which saw San Sebastian dominating San Beda in their finals affair. For the past 13 finals editions, either San Beda or Letran lift the trophy with the Red Lions winning nine of those and the Knights taking home the four.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
