INQUIRER Sports

SAN BEDA TRIES TO STAY CLOSE BEHIND the leaders when the defending champion Red Lions face the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals in a battle of streaking teams today in the 85th NCAA basketball tournament at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Odds in the 4 p.m. duel favor the Lions, who are on a four-game winning streak that includes a 79-74 trouncing of Letran last week.

After a 0-4 start, the Generals have slowly climbed back into contention with back-to-back wins over St. Benilde and Mapua.

And that?s the reason why coach Frankie Lim is wary of the Generals, who are coming off a 78-73 win over the Blazers last Monday.

?We have to come out aggressive against them,? said Lim, whose team hopes to tighten their grip of solo second behind San Sebastian and Jose Rizal U.

Colliding at 2 p.m. are the short-handed St. Benilde squad and well-rested Arellano U.

The Blazers will be without swingman Chuck Dalanon and center Jan Tan, who will serve their suspension for leaving the bench during an altercation between teammate MC Abolucion and Russel Yaya of EAC on Monday.

Aside from Dalanon and Tan, the league also punished the officials of the game. Acting on the complaint filed by St. Benilde coach Richard del Rosario, the league banned referee Ric Santos for the rest of the season, while John Estrada and Zaldy Sagum were slapped with an indefinite suspension.

?We are not questioning the outcome of the game, but we are dismayed by the lack of consistency and lack of control by the referees,? said Henry Atayde, St. Benilde?s management committee representative.

The three referees belong to National Amateur Basketball Referees Association. Bryan Tabanag, also a Nabra member, was also suspended by the UAAP last season.