Ateneo, UP shoot for quick finals entry

MANILA, Philippines — Top-seeded rivals Ateneo and University of the Philippines shoot for a quick finals date when they tackle lower-ranked Far Eastern U and La Salle, respectively, in the Final Four of the UAAP Season 84 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Armed with twice-to-beat incentives, the No. 1 and three-time reigning champion Blue Eagles (13-1) face the fourth-ranked Tamaraws (7-7) in the main game at 6 p.m. after the second-seeded Fighting Maroons (12-2) meet No. 3 Green Archers (9-5) at 2 p.m.

A win by the Katipunan neighbors would send them straight to the finals to dispute the UAAP crown under a unique bubble setup – a repeat of their duel in 2018.

But for both teams, the job is easier said than done.

“You know coach Olsen (Racela) does a great job and they’re gonna be ready. But we will regroup and we have to make sure that our loss (against UP) is useful for us. There will be lessons taken and lessons learned,” said coach Tab Baldwin as Ateneo’s bid for an outright finals entry was spoiled over the weekend.

Needing one win to complete a 14-0 sweep of the eliminations, the Blue Eagles fumbled against the Fighting Maroons and took a gut-wrenching 84-83 loss.

It snapped Ateneo’s 39-game win streak since 2018.

“Hopefully, we can carry it over to the semis. It’s all about the bigger picture,” said mentor Goldwin Monteverde as UP looks to fan its goal of ending a 36-year UAAP title drought.

UP is hoping for the availability of gunner CJ Cansino, who went through an MRI test yesterday after hurting his right knee in their game against Ateneo.

Both Ateneo and UP swept their semis counterparts in the elimination round. The Blue Eagles clipped the Tamaraws, 79-70 and 70-53, while the Fighting Maroons bested the Green Archers, 61-59 and 72-69.