Games today: 

(RTU gym)

8 a.m. -- New Era vs. St. Clare

9:30 a.m. -- De Ocampo vs. Enderun

DEFENDING champion St. Clare College and Enderun Colleges seek decisive victories against New Era University and De Ocampo Memorial College today to arrange a title showdown in the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU) Season 18 basketball tournament at the RTU gym in Mandaluyong City.

The Saints and the Titans need only to win over the Hunters and the Cobras to finish off  their scheduled  best-of-three semifinal matches and advance to the finals.

St. Clare leaned on the deadly trio of Mohamed Pare, Irven Palencia and Junjie Hallare to bring down  New Era University, 87-80, while Enderun  rode on the  hot  hands of  Brandon Chauca to surprise last year’s runner-up De Ocampo Memorial College, 105-86, last Thursday.

But the Hunters, who  are making their first semifinal appearance since 2006, and the Cobras, losing finalist to the Saints last  year, hope to avenge their  previous losses and extend the series to a deciding third game next week.

Last Thursday, Pare asserted his might on both ends of the floor and  finished  with 17 points and 16  rebounds  to power the  Caloocan City-based Saints of  NAASCU founding president  Dr. Ernesto Jay Adalem and  coach Jino  Manansala to victory.

Palencia  added 16 points, six assists and  three   rebounds and  Hallare  contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds in St. Clare’s ninth   straight win dating back to the eliminations.

Jefferson  Comia, the hero in  New  Era’s 67-65   win over 2016 runner-up Out Lady of Fatima University in  the  quarterfinals, had 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a losing cause.

Enderun, on the other hand, leaned on Chauca’s  35 points on 11-of-21 shooting, eight assists and three rebounds.

Igi Boy Sabasaje led  the way for Ronnie Dojillo-mentored Cobras with 27 points, five rebounds and two assists.

In the  junior division, defending champion Our Lady of  Fatima and  St. Clare  will  begin  their own  best-of-three  title   series  on  Monday, Oct. 22 also at teh RTU gym.

Fatima relied on Gervin Compas’ game-winning basket as time expired to beat Arandia College, 104-102, in overtime while  St.Clare leaned on big games of Stephen Catacutan and Cedrick Mwamba to subdue AMA University, 75-69, to set the stage for the rematch.

Enderun and Rizal Technological University    clash  in another  best-of-three  showdown  in the women's division.