FOUR teams battle for two automatic Final
Four berths in the stepladder playoff matches in the 84th NCAA
men's basketball tournament reels off today at the Astrodome.
San Sebastian collides with Jose Rizal
University while last year's runner-up Letran College squares
off with Mapua.
The winner of the matches will book berths
in the semifinals but will figure in another playoff game to
determine who gets the No. 2 spot that offers the
twice-to-beat incentive.
The losers of the stepladder playoff
matches will dispute the fourth and last semis slot in a
do-or-die game on Wednesday.
Back-to-back champion San Beda secured its
spot in the Final Four after topping the elimination round
with an 11-3 win-loss record.
The Stags, Heavy Bombers, Knights and the
Cardinals finished in a four-way tie for second with identical
9-5 records.
Mapua is considered the hottest among the
four since it is riding on a four-game winning streak while
Letran has been a letdown after blowing two chances to cop an
automatic semis slot.
In the juniors stepladder semifinals, third seed Jose Rizal
meets No. 4 La Salle Greenhills. The winner faces Letran in a
do-or-die encounter on Wednesday.
