Tams face Archers; Lions vs Bulldogs in Filoil semis

MANILA, Philippines - Far Eastern U squares off with La Salle while San Beda takes on National U in a pair of explosive semifinal matches in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup at The Arena in San Juan today.

The Tams, who swept their six-game assignments in the elims, and the Archers, who closed out with a 4-2 card, tangle in the 2 p.m. opener while the Red Lions and the Bulldogs collide at 4 p.m. with the winners joining CESAFI champion Southwestern U and NAASCU’s Centro Escolar U in the Final Four.

SWU and CEU took the first two semis slots, breaking the domination of the NCAA and UAAP teams in the country’s premier pre-season league.

For FEU head coach Nash Racela, the Tams’ unbeaten run in the elims, including a win over the Lions, doesn’t mean much. What matters is they hurdle the Archers and gain a crack at the crown.

“The San Beda game was an important win because they are like La Salle – tall, fast, athletic and with a deep bench. Hopefully, we can play better this time,” said Racela.

FEU’s win over San Beda snapped the Red Lions’ win streak and as a result, instead of copping the top seeding, they find themselves playing the unpredictable Bulldogs, now pinning their hopes on Glenn Khobuntin, Troy Rosario, Gelo Alolino and Alfred Aroga.

“Now that the games are all against the top teams in the tournament, we will get a chance to see where we stand and how we can fare come the NCAA season,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez.