Defending champion San Beda seeks to move within a win of claiming an automatic Finals slot against College of Saint Benilde Thursday in the 95th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.
The Red Lions play the Blazers at 2 p.m. with the Mendiola-based squad out to claim their 17th win that will push them within a win of sweeping the double-round elims.
Aside from a San Beda win over St. Benilde, San Sebastian hopes to hurdle Mapua in the 4 p.m. main game to complete the semifinals cast.
Sporting identical 7-8 records and two games out of the No. 4 slot, the Blazers and the Cardinals have no recourse but to sweep all of their remaining three matches to avoid elimination.
The Stags are in solo third with a 9-6 mark.
A repeat of last Aug. 23’s 88-57 conquest of the Blazers will put the Lions on the cusp of making the Finals round outright.
After St. Benilde, San Beda will face Lyceum of the Philippines University in a rematch of two previous championship series on Oct. 17.
On the brink of elimination after a promising 5-0 start, coach TY Tang hopes that his Blazers will leave everything on the floor to pull off a reversal of epic proportions against the powerhouse Lions.
“We will just fight. We will find ways to survive. We have nothing to lose at this time, we have everything to gain,” said Tang,.
St. Benilde has encountered a lot of misfortunes along the way, losing guard Jimboy Pasturan and rookie center Ladis Lepalam to season-ending injuries, while Clement Leutcheu went down with an illness and sat out in the last two games.
After opening the season with five consecutive losses, the Cardinals made a huge run midway in the eliminations but losses to the Pirates and the Lions hurt their chances of making it to the next round.
With a return Final Four trip in sight, San Sebastian coach Egay Macaraya expects his troops to give their all to avoid any complications.
“We don’t have the luxury to relax. We have back-to-back games,” said Macaraya. “You know Mapua, they are a contender in the Final Four, kaya medyo mahirap kung magre-relax kami.”
