UAAP Final 4 fires off

Games Saturday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
11 a.m. – UST vs UP (women’s Final Four KO)
2 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (men’s Final Four)
6 p.m. – La Salle vs NU (men's Final Four)

MANILA, Philippines – And then there were four.

Top-seed University of the Philippines, red-hot La Salle, dark horse National University and reigning champion Ateneo meet in separate gigantic duels among heavy title favorites as the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament Final Four comes off the wraps Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Though in different placings compared to expectations in the preseason tags, the four fancied squads vow to put on a show for a chance to clinch coveted tickets in the Last Dance.

UP and Ateneo, finalists of the last two seasons, open another chapter of their fabled Katipunan rivalry at 2 p.m., followed by the expected dogfight between the rampaging La Salle and skidding NU at 6 p.m.

Also in the fray is the knockout duel of second-seed University Santo Tomas and UP at 11 a.m. in the women’s Final Four.

UP, the third-seed, stunned the twice-to-beat-armed UST in Game 1 via overtime, 88-80, to force a knockout, with the winner advancing to the finals against seven-peat titlist NU, which made short work of No. 4 Ateneo in the other bracket, 58-43.

But all eyes — and the smartphone cameras — are on the Maroons, Archers, Bulldogs and Eagles in an anticipated slugfest in the men’s semis.

The Maroons and the Archers, as the top-two seeds after the wild two-round eliminations, with twice-to-beat incentives hold an inside track to a potential titular showdown — needing only one try to advance.

They, however, are far from considering that as an advantage, especially with equally capable squads in the way.

“Getting here and getting this (No. 1) spot is only a part of it. Alam namin na hindi pa tapos. Hindi namin iniisip yung sitwasyon (twice-to-beat) na ‘yun. We're not gonna talk about advantage,” said UP mentor Goldwin Monteverde, eyeing a third finals stint in as many seasons.

“We always make sure that we take care of what we have control of.  We wanna make sure that we’re gonna be ready. The only way we’re gonna be confident is if we’re gonna be prepared,” said La