ATENEO seeks to play the spoilers to the hilt in Adamson’s bid to force a playoff against University of the East for the remaining Final Four berth today at the close of the UAAP men’s basketball eliminations at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

For the Blue Eagles, avoiding to become the lone team in the season to record 10 defeats, finishing strong is their main focus in the 5:30 p.m. duel with the Falcons.

A loss to Ateneo will eliminate Adamson in the Final Four race for the fifth straight season.

The Blue Eagles, who will miss the Final Four for the first time since 2013, are coming off a long break after giving the Red Warriors a blow to their semifinals aspirations with a 71-67 win last Nov. 13.

UE, which has lost five of its last six games after an impressive 5-2 first round, is now pinning for a Ateneo win to secure its first Final Four berth since 2009.

“I always have a soft spot for our opponents and our competitors. Jack (Santiago) is a great guy and he’s had a great year this year. They came under a rough patch this second half of the season. They surprised everybody this year with the quality of basketball they played and how they played it. I think they are a deserving playoff team,” said Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin.

The Red Warriors are at 6-8, half-a-game ahead of the Falcons, who hold a 5-8 record.

The do-or-die playoff for No. 4 is set on Wednesday.

Ateneo has derailed Adamson’s Final Four aspirations in the last two seasons.

The Blue Eagles drubbed the Falcons, 70-48, in the do-or-die playoff last year, ending Jerom Lastimosa’s final UAAP season on a sad note.

With nothing to play but the No. 1 ranking late in 2022, Ateneo still played with a lot of pride, dragging Adamson to a sudden death match with La Salle for No. 4 following a 66-61 victory. The Green Archers then eliminated the Falcons in the playoff, 80-76.

“You respect your opponent and you respect yourself and you can only do that if you go out and give it your best shot every game. That’s what we did today, and that’s what you can expect from us in the final game against Adamson,” said Baldwin.

The Blue Eagles hope to force a four-way tie from fifth to eighth spots at 5-9, making the first time in the Final Four era that no bottom team will end up with double-digit losses.

Far Eastern University and National University, with similar 5-9 records, ended their seasons with victories which Ateneo hopes to duplicate.

The Green Archers, the defending champions who topped the eliminations with a 12-2 record, will play the No. 4 team in the Final Four armed with a twice-to-beat advantage.

Second-ranked University of the Philippines (11-3), which also has a twice-to-beat bonus, and No. 3 University of Santo Tomas (7-7) in the other half of the Final Four.

In the women’s division, the Lady Bulldogs gun for an outright Finals berth via 14-game sweep as they play the Lady Tamaraws at 8 a.m.

The back-to-back title seeking Tigresses, who are assured of a No. 2 ranking in the step-ladder or traditional Final Four format, take on the Lady Archers at 10 a.m.

In a potential step-ladder preview at 12 noon, the Lady Falcons and the Blue Eagles clash with final semifinals placings at stake.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Theodore P. Jurado