Lions want crown by any means

MANILA, Philippines — For the first time in five years as San Beda coach, Boyet Fernandez will have a crack at an NCAA title sweep.

But he just wants the title – sweep or no sweep.

“The goal is to just win the championship. That’s our biggest concern right now,” said Fernandez, whose Lions swept their 18-game elims sked to automatically advance to the best-of-three finals starting Nov. 12 at the MOA Arena.

Fernandez is on his fifth season with the Lions and has won four championships along the way. He has never experienced a sweep.

This marked the first time he will have a crack at the feat last achieved by San Beda nine years ago under then coach Frankie Lim.

Fernandez, however, thinks pondering too much of the potential sweep could backfire on them like what happened to Lyceum of the Philippines University, which swept all 18 elimination-round games before being swept by San Beda in the finals two years ago.

“It will be added pressure to think so much of the sweep. The right attitude is just to take it one game at a time and not thinking ahead that much,” said Fernandez.

The sweep reduced the Final Four into a stepladder-semis with No. 3 Letran (12-6) battling No. 4 San Sebastian (11-7) with the winner clashing with No. 2 LPU (13-5) for the right to battle San Beda in the finals.

Meanwhile, La Salle-Greenhills and Arellano will battle for the last Final Four spot in the juniors division when they collide at 12 noon today.

The Junior Blazers and Braves ended up in a three-way tie for No. 3 with the San Sebastian Staglets. But the latter emerged with the highest quotient, forcing a knockout match between the next two.