FOUR teams eliminated from Final Four contention take the floor on Tuesday with nothing in mind but to close out their campaigns in respectable fashion in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 94 seniors basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
With the Final Four cast sealed by San Beda (15-1 won-lost), Lyceum (15-2), Letran (13-4) and University of Perpetual Help (11-6), it’s time for the lower-ranked teams to make graceful exits from the two-round elimination phase.
Cellar-dweller Jose Rizal University (3-14) plays College of Saint Benilde (8-8) for its last assignment at 2 p.m., while Mapùa (5-12) waves goodbye to the season when it clashes with Arellano University (5-11) at 4 p.m.
The Blazers were contenders for the playoffs midway the second round, but a shock loss to the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals late last month and the impressive string of wins by the Knights and Altas push them out of the semifinals race.
The Bombers, meanwhile, couldn’t find their groove as they listed only three wins—the last an 81-78 victory over the Generals last Friday.
Jed Mendoza scored a career high of 26 points to lead JRU, and a win by the Bombers would tie them at the last spot with the Generals on a 4-14 card.
The Cardinals absorbed a 64-86 beating at the hands of the San Sebastian College Stags to further pile frustrations on their side.
They could regain their morale if they beat the Chiefs, who got mauled by the semifinals-bound Red Lions, 52-90, last week.