Defending champion St. Clare College and Enderun Colleges pulled off contrasting victories over their respective rivals to move within a win of advancing to the finals of the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU) Season 18 basketball tournament at the RTU gym in Mandaluyong.
St. Clare leaned on the deadly trio of Mohamed Pare, Irven Palencia and Junjie Hallare to bring down New Era University, 87-80, and keep its bid for an unprecedented third straight title alive.
Enderun, on the other hand, rode on the hot hands of Brandon Chauca to surprise last year’s runner-up De Ocampo Memorial Colleges, 105-86, and boost its chances for its first-ever finals appearance.
Victories by both the Saints and the Titans in Game 2 of the scheduled best-of-three semifinal matches starting at 8 a.m. today will put them on collision course for the coveted title in this 18-year-old league.
The Hunters, who are making their first semifinal appearance since 2006, and the Cobras, losing finalist to the Saints last year, need a victory to send the series into a deciding third game next week.
