Defending three-time champions San Beda University finally gets the chance to complete its mission when it battles the surging Mapua side as NCAA men’s basketball tournament resumes Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Twice cancelled due to bad weather, the match is set at 2 p.m. with the red-hot Lions going for a 9-game sweep of the first round elims.
Though they won their last three games by an average winning margin of close to 31 points, Lions coach Boyet Fernandez sees a tough match with the Cardinals who won their last three games after a disappointing 0-5 start to the season.
“They’ve been playing well so far, and credit that to (new) coach Randy Alcantara, who has done a great job. Even in their losses, they were competing really hard and finally they found ways to win,” said Fernandez.
“We expect them to come out strong, we expect them to compete hard – the same way they’ve been competing against the other teams. We’ll be ready for them, we want to keep winning because that’s our goal,” he added.
In other games, College of St. Benilde also tries to close out its first round campaign on a high note when it faces Letran at 12 noon while host Arellano collides with San Sebastian College at 4 p.m.
The league had a long break after it approved to hold the games today instead of last Tuesday to give way to the Gilas Pilipinas participation in the FIBA World Cup in China.
San Beda started the month of August with a close 70-66 win against Letran, but dominated its next three opponents with a 102-56 beating of the Altas of Perpetual Help last Aug. 16, an 88-73 triumph over the Lyceum in a finals rematch last Aug. 20 before crushing the Blazers, 88-57, last Aug. 23.
That’s because of the steady performances of Cameroonian Donald Tankoua, Calvin Oftana, Evan Nelle and James Canlas-Kwekuteye.
Alcantara, on his end, will rely on his mainstays Noah Lugo, Laurenz Victoria, Eric Jabel, Christian Bunag and Cyril Gonzales.
A victory over the Knights will seal for the Blazers the No. 2 spot.
CSB coach TY Tang will be back after serving his one-game suspension last Friday where St. Benilde regained its winning ways with a 74-66 romp of JRU.
Letran has been on a slump as it dropped back-to-back games, including a stunning 101-102 overtime defeat to San Sebastian last Aug. 20 after opening the tournament with a 5-1 card. (Waylon Galvez)
