Lions, Knights clash in crucial encounter

San Beda guns for the top seeding while Letran goes for the second Final Four berth and the other twice-to-beat incentive as they clash today at the close of the elims in the 84th NCAA basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Gametime is at 4 p.m. with the Lions seeking to advance to the semifinals with a 10-3 (win-loss) slate.

On the other hand, the Knights, with a 9-4 slate, try to book the No. 2 ranking and avoid falling into a four-way tie with San Sebastian, Mapua and Jose Rizal U, which all wound up with 9-5 slates.

“It’s going to be a big game for us,” said San Beda coach Frankie Lim. “We want to stay on No. 1 and show the team’s passion for excellence.”

“Beating San Beda is a tall order but it can be done. We just have to match their rebounding, intensity, fast break and transition points,” Letran mentor Louie Alas said.

Using the FIBA classification point system, a win by Letran will force a playoff for No. 1 with San Beda with the winner getting the top seeding.

That will leave San Sebastian, Jose Rizal and Mapua in a three-way tie at No. 3. But the Stags will advance outright to the Final Four with the highest tiebreak score of seven points.

The Cardinals and the Bombers, who emerged with six and five tiebreak points, respectively, will knock each other out for the last semis seat and another playoff with SSC for the No. 3 seeding.

A victory by San Beda, however, will make it more complicated.

While the Lions will make the Final Four as the top seed, the Knights would slide to a four-way tie for second with the Stags, the Bombers and the Cardinals.

In this scenario, San Sebastian will battle Jose Rizal while Mapua will take on Letran in the first round of knockout matches.

The winners will then slug it out for the No. 2 seeding and the other twice-to-beat edge while the loser will end up at No. 3.

The losing teams in the first round of playoffs will figure in a sudden death for the last semis ticket.

Alas said he might give extra extension to Nigerian behemoth Sam Ekwe, the 2006 rookie MVP, and San Beda’s main man.

The 6-9 Lagos, Nigeria native scored 25 points as he powered the Lions to a 71-67 win over the Knights in their first encounter.

“I thought he was just on a zone that particular game. But he kept nailing his jumpers the rest of the second round, he’s really for real,” said Alas. – Joey Villar