NCAA101 Men’s Basketball Final Four Enters Semifinal Bracket

The race to the Season 101 crown is down to four, with the semifinal teams now officially locked in. This December at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the University of Perpetual Help Altas take on the Letran Knights, while the San Beda Red Lions face the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde Blazers. The NCAA men’s basketball semifinal round tips off tomorrow.

Looking back at the quarterfinal matches, the Perpetual Altas opened the round last November 26 with a composed 81–74 victory over the JRU Heavy Bombers, ending JRU’s Season 101 campaign. Perpetual held the upper hand almost wire to wire, showing why they were the top seed. Mark Gojo Cruz erupted for 23 points, while Patrick Sleat orchestrated the offense with 10 assists and 6 rebounds. Their steady, unselfish play kept Perpetual in control from start to finish. Though JRU trimmed the lead to 73–70 in the fourth, the Altas’ tightened defense shut the door on the Bombers’ comeback hopes for good.

Later that day, the San Beda Red Lions crushed the LPU Pirates’ semifinal dreams with a commanding 91–67 win, delivering one of the most dominant performances of the quarterfinals. Yuki Andrada led all scorers with 20 points, adding 3 rebounds and a steal that powered San Beda’s return to the semifinals. From the opening whistle, the Red Lions set the pace, dominated both ends, and never gave the Pirates room to recover and find their rhythm.

In the Mapúa–Benilde rematch, coming off an upset against the defending champions, the Blazers sent the Cardinals packing with a tight 74–72 victory in their second quarterfinal meeting. Ian Torres tallied 12 points as Benilde capitalized on Mapúa’s slow start and controlled the matchup until the third quarter. The Cardinals stormed to a 63–62 lead entering the final six minutes, but the Taft-based squad refused to let their twice-to-beat edge slip away, regaining the lead and punched the final ticket to the semis.

Letran, meanwhile, delivered one of the most gritty runs of the postseason. Entering the quarters with a twice-to-win disadvantage, the Knights mounted back-to-back victories to reclaim their place in the Final Four. Their November 28 clincher was a 77–69 takedown of the Arellano Chiefs, Jimboy Estrada stepped up with 19 points and 5 rebounds, helping Letran lead past with an 8-point cushion late in the third quarter, and though the Chiefs fought back, trimming the deficit to 64–62 early in the fourth, the Knights answered with clutch stops and crisps execution to close it out and secure the win.

As the NCAA men’s basketball tournament approaches its final stretch, catch the remaining games at the Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum. With four teams left standing, the battle for the next Kings of NCAA men’s basketball is about to intensify. Stay tuned to the official NCAA website and social media pages for livestreams and real-time updates.