Falcons, Tigers face off for No. 3

Santo Tomas and Adamson collide today in a playoff for Final Four seeding in the 69th UAAP basketball tournament at the Philsports Arena.

Finishing tied at No. 3 on 6-6 (win-loss) slates after the elimination round, the Tigers and the Falcons collide at 4 p.m. with the winner clinching No. 3 and the loser No. 4.

Ateneo de Manila, which topped the elims with a 10-2 record, takes on No. 3 while University of the East, which clinched No. 2 with an 8-4 card, tackles No. 4 in the semifinals set Sunday at the Big Dome.

UST made the semifinals for the first time since achieving the feat four years ago while Adamson is making its first ever semis appearance since the Final Four format was introduced 13 seasons back.

That’s why both teams are itching to play in the next phase regardless of their opponent.

"Our focus is to win this game because we don’t want to enter the Final Four coming from a loss," said UST coach Pido Jarencio in Filipino.

"If it’s UE it’s UE, if Ateneo, it’s Ateneo. What’s important is that we’re in the Final Four," Adamson mentor Leo Austria, for his part, said.

In the two teams’ two meetings this year, the Falcons took the first, 74-62, on Aug. 3 while the Tigers won the other, 77-74, on Sept. 2.

UST boasts of a balanced line-up headed by Jervy Cruz and Japs Cuan, who led the league in rebounds and assists, respectively.