By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA--La Salle may have just got a grasp at the overall championship of UAAP Season 78 as the team is in a good position to reclaim the general title they lost from UST last year.
In an unofficial count made by Dugout Philippines on Thursday night following the loss of UST's men's football team in the semifinals against UP, La Salle, whose own men's football team is playing Ateneo in the other Final Four match-up ongoing as of posting, will overtake UST at the top spot in the general championship race.
The Growling Tigers entered the week with 272 general championship points with their men's football team the remaining squad in action.
But following the 0-3 defeat against UP, UST, which finished fourth in the tournament, ended its campaign with 280 points.
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Meanwhile, La Salle will finish no worse than third in the men's football tournament, assuring them a minimum of ten points, and with the women's football and women's volleyball teams also in the finals, which effectively means a minimum of 12 points each, the school, which entered the week with 247 points, can end its own Season 78 stint with at least 281, enough to beat UST for the general title.
Once made official, this will be the Green Archers' third general championship in four seasons dating back to Season 75.
La Salle's final general championship points will be determined just as their remaining teams' respective campaigns end.
The Lady Spikers will conclude their finals series against the Ateneo Lady Eagles on Saturday, while the Lady Booters will battle the Lady Maroons in a one-game title match on May 5. The Green Booters can turn it to an all-La Salle versus UP UAAP football finals if they beat the Blue Booters later Thursday.
Meanwhile, the win of UP's men's football team gave the Fighting Maroons a chance to share third place with the Blue Eagles in the general championship race, but the latter can seal solo third with a win of their own men's football team against the Green Booters.
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