Now that the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers clinched the third spot in the UAAP Season 87 semifinals, the University of the East Red Warriors and the Adamson University Soaring Falcons will battle it for the last spot.
The defending champions, De La Salle University Green Archers, and last year’s finalists, the University of the Philippines Fighting Marrons, are already assured of the twice-to-beat advantage as the first- and second-place after two rounds of eliminations.
The University of Santo Tomas, with a 7-7 win-loss record, is also assured of the third spot and is set to face the Fighting Maroons in the semifinals.
Unfortunately, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, National University Bulldogs, and the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles have been eliminated.
Here are the scenarios in which either the University of the East Red Warriors or the Adamson University Soaring Falcons can advance to the semifinals.
Scenario 1: Red Warriors Win Against Fighting Maroons
The University of the East Red Warriors will clinch the last semifinal spot if they win against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in their last game in the eliminations. The Red Warriors and the Fighting Maroons will battle it out on November 20, at 5:30 P.M.
Currently, the University of the East stands with a 6-7 win-loss record. If they win their match against the University of the Philippines, they will be tied with the semifinals-bound University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers with an identical 7-7 win-loss record.
However, since the Growling Tigers won both of their elimination games against the Red Warriors, they will take the third spot.
In the first round of eliminations, the Fighting Maroons defeated the Red Warriors, 81-71, behind JD Cagulangan’s 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. The momentum is also on the side of the Fighting Maroons since the Red Warriors are on a four-game losing streak.
Scenario 2: Red Warriors Lose Against Fighting Maroons; Adamson Wins Against Ateneo
Should the University of the East Red Warriors lose against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, the Adamson Soaring Falcons still have a chance to fight for the last spot in the semifinals.
The Soaring Falcons are currently in fifth place with a 5-8 win-loss record, and they are set to play this season’s cellar-dwellers, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles on Saturday, November 23, at 5:30 p.m.
In their first-round matchup, the Soaring Falcons defeated the Blue Eagles, 72-68, behind Aurelio Fransman’s 15 points, three steals, and two assists. Ateneo also just came from a win against the University of the East Red Warriors, while Adamson had an embarrassing 49-75 defeat at the hands of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.
If the Red Warriors lose against the Fighting Maroons and the Soaring Falcons win against the Blue Eagles, both the University of the East and Adamson University will figure in a two-way tie with a 6-8 win-loss record.
As per the UAAP rules, there would be a knockout match between the Red Warriors and the Soaring Falcons to know which team would qualify for the semifinals.
Scenario 3: Red Warriors Lose Against Fighting Maroons; Adamson Loses Against Ateneo
The matchup between the University of the East Red Warriors and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons will happen today, November 20, at 5:30 p.m. If the Red Warriors lose the game, they need to cheer for the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles to win their match against Adamson University Soaring Falcons to avoid a knock-out match.
If both the Red Warriors and the Soaring Falcons lose their respective matches, the Red Warriors will qualify for the semifinals with a 6-8 win-loss record, while the Soaring Falcons will be eliminated from contention after dropping to a 5-9 card.
UAAP Final Four: DLSU vs UE/Adamson and UP vs UST
Whoever clinches the last spot in the final four between the University of the East Red Warriors and the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, they are set to face the defending champions, the De La Salle University Green Archers in the semifinals with a twice-to-beat disadvantage, meaning, they need to defeat the Green Archers twice in the semifinals to qualify for the finals.
In the first round of eliminations, the Red Warriors shocked everyone when they defeated the Green Archers, 75-71, behind John Abate’s 20 points and five rebounds, and Wello Lingolingo’s 18 points. However, De La Salle University avenged their first-round loss in the second round, defeating the University of the East, 77-68, behind Mike Phillips’ double-double performance of 27 points and 17 rebounds.
Against the Soaring Falcons, the Green Archers won both their elimination games.
In the other bracket of the semifinals, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons will face the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, with the Fighting Maroons having a twice-to-beat advantage.
In the elimination rounds, the Fighting Maroons won both their games against the Growling Tigers. In the second round, the University of the Philippines defeated the University of Santo Tomas, 83-73, behind Francis Lopez’s 20 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
In the first round, the Fighting Maroons also defeated the Growling Tigers, 81-70, behind Harold Alarcon’s 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists, and Francis Lopez’s 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.
