St. Benilde still in search of first win
Games Today (The Arena, San Juan City)
10 a.m. – EAC vs CSB-LSGH (jrs)
12 noon – Mapua vs UPH (jrs)
2 p.m. – EAC vs CSB (srs)
4 p.m. – Mapua vs UPH (srs)
By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
University of Perpetual Help tries to keep its winning streak alive for solo second when it clashes with dangerous Mapua today in NCAA men’s basketball at The Arena in San Juan City.
The Altas aim for their fifth straight victory in their 4 p.m. confrontation with the Cardinals to improve their 6-2 win-loss record.
Tied with Arellano behind pacesetter San Beda, Perpetual looks at closing out its first-round eliminations campaign on a bright note to bolster its title bid.
The Altas look at following up their recent 70-53 thrashing of the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals two days back where they emerged as one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Perpetual is currently the No. 1 rebounding team with an average of 42.6 boards per game. The Altas also allow their rivals to score on an average of 64.1 points – currently the second best performance in the department.
Part of the team’s impressive performance is credited to Bright Akhuetie, who is a consistent double-double performer with an average of 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The Altas also has a formidable core in Gab Dagangon, Jeffrey Coronel and Daryl Singontiko.
However, Perpetual is expected to adjust on its offensive plays as starting point guard Kieth Pido remains a doubtful starter after injuring his shoulder in their last game.
“Malakas ang Mapua. Sayang at isang araw lang ang preparasyon namin, pero we’ll make the most out of our time,” said Perpetual Help Jimwell Gican.
Mapua, on the other hand, hopes to recover from an 85-74 loss to San Beda a week ago that put them at 5-2 for joint fourth place.
The Cardinals will parade reigning Rookie-MVP Allwell, who boasts of a 17.7-point, 19.3-rebound average, to matchup with Akhuetie.
But Mapua will be missing CJ Isit for the second straight game with an injured finger.
In the other game, EAC (2-6) collides with College of St. Benilde (0-8) at 2 p.m.
