MU, LPU seek to seal NCAA title showdown

MAPUA University (MU) and Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) seek to arrange a title duel as they face off with College of St. Benilde and San Beda, respectively, in today's start of the NCAA Season 99 Final Four at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

Thanks to the twice-to-beat incentives they earned for finishing in the top two after the double-round elimination, the No. 1 Cardinals tackle the No. 4 Blazers at 1:30 p.m. while the No. 2 Pirates tangle with the No. 3 Lions at 3:30 p.m. needing just a win to arrange a best-of-three duel unfurling next week.

Mapua will set out eyeing nothing less than making the finals for the second time in the last three seasons and ending a 32-year title drought and handing the school its seventh seniors championship overall.

The Cardinals' last crown came in 1991, which incidentally has current Mapua coach Randy Alcantara as a vital cog in that glorious feat.

For LPU, it is searching for a third finals appearance since making it that far in 2017 and 2018 under then mentor Topex Robinson and another shot at a historic crown.

Alcantara, however, isn't looking that far just yet.

«Our focus right now is the Final Four. It's the most important thing for us right now,» said Alcantara.

Same with LPU mentor Gilbert Malabanan.

«We'll just concentrate on this game first before anything else,» said Malabanan.

For sure, San Beda and CSB aren't just going to just fade into the night and should go for nothing but a triumph and force a deciding game on Friday also at MOA where anything can happen.

«Of course, I'm expecting it to be tougher,» said San Beda mentor Yuri Escueta referring to the Lions' 74-56 decimation of the Pirates a week ago.

«Big game for us, we believe we can still compete against Mapua and win that game as long as we play together and stick to our game plan,» said CSB coach Charles Tiu.

Mapua, of course, will come in as the prohibitive favorite having one of the league's deepest and most balanced rosters headed by Clint Escamis, who is expected to run away with the MVP award that Will Gozum of CSB won a year ago.