By Dugout Philippines
Ateneo dominated defending champion National University from wire to wire to advance to the Finals outright, even as Adamson University clinched its first Final Four appearance in six years at the end of the UAAP Season 77 juniors basketball eliminations at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Mike Nieto scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Blue Eagles went 14-0 in the eliminations with a 76-49 rout of the Bullpups, while Gerald Fernandez and Miguel Sasuman combined for 27 points as the Baby Falcons turned back also-ran University of Santo Tomas, 76-67.
Aljun Melecio hit two key free throws in the last 8.5 seconds as De La Salle-Zobel elimininated Far Eastern University-Diliman, 59-55, to clinch a spot in the semifinals.
Adamson will enter the Final Four after five straight seasons of coming up short. The Baby Falcons last made their semis appearance in 2008.
The Baby Falcons wound up in a three-way tie in second place along with the Bullpups and the Junior Falcons at 9-5, but Adamson and NU got the right to face off for the twice-to-beat bonus in the semifinals by virtue of superior quotient. La Salle-Zobel was relegated as No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
With the Baby Falcons' victory, the Baby Tamaraws, who finished fifth with an 8-6 slate, will miss the semis for only the second time since 2005, the year when FEU revived its high school basketball program.
The playoff for the No. 2 spot between Adamson and NU is set at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Jolo Mendoza and Lorenzo Joson had 12 and 10 points, respectively, for Ateneo, which will gain a maximum of two week rest if the stepladder semis goes into full route.
In a duel of also-ran squads, UP Integrated School beat University of the East, 93-65.
The Tiger Cubs placed sixth with a 5-9 record, followed by the Junior Maroons (2-12) and the Junior Warriors (0-14).