NOW in the latter stages of their respective basketball tournaments, the Smart Araneta Coliseum’s double-booking conflict has been settled, with UAAP deciding to give way to NCAA.
Confusion erupted when both leagues announced that the respective Game 3s (rubber matches) of their championship series would be played on the same day, December 14, at the same Cubao-based coliseum.
With the UAAP Season 87 Finals series between the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons quickly approaching, the UAAP decided to adjust their schedule to give way to the NCAA.
The announcement
The NCAA, which played Game 1 in the Big Dome last Sunday, will hold all coming games at the same venue, with Game 2 on December 7 and Game 3 on December 14, according to the schedule issued on November 23.
If that happens, the third game between the Mapua University (MU) Cardinals and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers would be played at 2:30 PM, followed by the third game between DLSU and UP at 5:30 PM.
The UAAP then announced on their social media accounts that the third game between the Green Archers and the Fighting Maroons, if it reaches that stage, will now be played on Sunday, December 15.
“This change comes as the Smart Araneta Coliseum encountered a scheduling conflict for Saturday, December 14, which had been reserved by both the UAAP and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA),” said in the announcement.
“In light of this, the UAAP is moving its finals Game 3 to December 15, Sunday so the NCAA may hold their potential Game 3 on December 14,” the league went on to explain their decision.
The UAAP Junior High School Boys’ Basketball Finals Games 2 and 3 will be shifted, as will the probable rubber match of the Collegiate Women’s and Men’s Basketball Finals are the games affected by the rescheduling.
Exciting times ahead
Leaving scheduling problems aside, Mapua has already secured its first victory over Benilde. Clint Escamis demonstrated his unstoppable abilities by taking over for the Intramuros-based squad, 84-73.
Escamis caught fire early, scoring 22 points at halftime and ended with 30 points, just three short of his career high, four assists, and five steals to lead his side to a Game 1 victory.
Meanwhile, the UAAP action between last year’s finalists will begin on Sunday, December 8, with a highly anticipated matchup between two of the country’s top collegiate teams in history.
JD Cagulangan will seek to retake the throne for UP before leaving the university, when they face Kevin Quiambao, the soon-to-be awarded back-to-back UAAP Season MVP, who will be aiming for back-to-back championships.