INQUIRER Sports

ARELLANO, the best-performing NCAA guest squad, tries to wrap up its elimination campaign with a victory against fellow guest team Emilio Aguinaldo College in the men?s basketball tournament Monday.

The Chiefs, mentored by the league?s youngest coach, Junjie Ablan, shoot for their ninth victory against the Generals at 2 p.m. at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Eliminated teams Perpetual Help and Angeles University Foundation clash in another no-bearing match at 4 p.m.

Their junior counterparts tangle earlier starting at 10 a.m.

Running fifth with an 8-9 record, Arellano was the last team ousted from semifinal contention, with Letran (12-6) claiming the last Final Four berth.

The three other early semifinalists?top-seeded San Sebastian (15-1), defending champion San Beda (15-2) and last year?s losing finalist Jose Rizal (14-2)?remain in a tight race for the top two spots which come with a twice-to-beat bonus in the Final Four.

?We?re out of the Final Four but we want to go out fighting and pick up as many wins as we can because a fifth-place finish is not bad for a guest team like us,? said the 30-year-old Ablan.

The Chiefs, who routed the Generals in their first-round meeting, 80-62, also pulled off upsets against regular-member teams Letran, Mapua, St. Benilde and Perpetual Help.

The Altas, meanwhile, aim to duplicate their July 15 victory, 94-84, over the Danes.