By NIKOLE JAVIER
Defending champion Ateneo and Adamson dispute the last Final Four spot in a win-or-go-home knockout match in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament Final Four on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Blue Eagles and the Falcons tussle at 2 p.m. to determine the fourth and final seed that will join early semifinalists UP, La Salle and NU.
As the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, both the Maroons and the Archers enjoy twice-to-beat advantages against their respective rivals in the semis.
The winner in the Ateneo-Adamson clash is set to face top seed UP.
Ateneo and Adamson fell in a two-way tie with similar 7-7 records after the elimination round following Matthew Montebon’s game-winner triple in the Soaring Falcons’ 63-61 escape win over the UE Red Warriors on Sunday.
Interestingly, Adamson forged a path for itself back to the Final Four from a similar scenario last year after knocking out La Salle in their playoff.
However, the Falcons will be without Jerom Lastimosa, who towed the team throughout its unbelievable Final Four run in the season prior.
This time, the 5-foot-11 combo guard bid his collegiate career goodbye earlier than expected after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in Adamson’s second-round game against UP.
On the other end, the Blue Eagles fell short of clinching an outright Final Four seat after its 72-69 defeat at the hands of archrival Green Archers last week.
The last time the Final Four hopefuls faced each other in the second round, Adamson head coach Nash Racela cried foul on what we deemed was unfair officiating during their 62-58 loss against Ateneo to which Tab Baldwin indirectly called out ‘shameful’ for putting UAAP officials under pressure.
After the events that had since transpired then, Racela was left surprised after his ‘good friend’ Baldwin’s statement regarding his tirade directed at the league’s referees.
Not only the battle between Adamson’s Montebon, Cedrick Manzano and Joshua Yerro and Ateneo’s reliable rookies Mason Amos and Jared Brown should be exciting, but the clash of the two coaches at the touchline.
In the must-see collision, Ateneo is gunning for its eighth straight Final Four appearance and eventually defend its title back in the finals against the winner between La Salle and NU.
