MANILA, Philippines - The 10th National Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU) basketball season fires off tomorrow with six seniors games and one junior match on tap at the Rizal Coliseum and Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Defending champion San Sebastian College-Cavite and multi-titled University of Manila clash in a rematch of last year’s title showdown at 12 noon after the opening rites highlighted by the traditional parade of teams.
The Baycats defeated the Hawks last year to capture their second straight crown in the 12-team, annual tournament.
The Hawks dominated the first five stagings of the league but remain winless in the last four years.
“We expect this year’s NAASCU basketball competition to be as successful as the previous nine years,” said NAASCU president Dr. Ernesto Jay Adalem of St. Clare.
“SSC-Cavite will be gunning for its third straight title, but the rest of the teams have prepared long and hard to foil its bid,” he said.
Only four teams - UM, AMA Computer University, STI Colleges and SSC-Cavite - have won a title in the league’s first 10 years, but Adalem said the rest of the member-teams have improved a lot over the years.
Other opening-day matches at the Rizal Coliseum pit University of Makati against Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasay at 1:30 p.m. and newcomer Our Lady of Fatima University against Informatics at 3 p.m.
Fatima takes on SSC-Cavite in the lone junior match at 4:30 p.m.
Over at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, AMA battles New Era University at 12:30 p.m., Centro Escolar University collides with St. Clare College-Caloocan at 2 p.m. and STI squares off with Lyceum of Subic Bay at 3:30 p.m.