REGAINING their winning ways will be the target of four teams seeing action in the NCAA Season 89 basketball tournament today.
Stung by defeats in their previous outings, St. Benilde, Jose Rizal, Mapua and Arellano hope to climb in the standings in what is shaping up to be an unpredictable tournament at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
The Blazers hope to finally barge into the win column when they face the Bombers at 4 p.m. The Chiefs-Cardinals tussle is set at 6.
It has been a heartbreaking season so far for the Blazers, who lost their first two games via a single point. After bowing to San Beda, 70-71, on opening day, the Blazers dropped a 72-73 heartbreaker to Emilio Aguinaldo College last Saturday.
St. Benilde coach Gabby Velasco has liked the way his Blazers have fought until the end, particularly against San Beda.
But the Blazers risk falling into a deeper 0-3 hole that could prove tough to overhaul with the league at its most competitive in years.
The Bombers have lost back-to-back after opening the season with an impressive win over the Cardinals.
But coach Vergel Meneses can console himself with the way the Bombers pushed title favorite Letran to the limit before yielding in overtime last Saturday.
Tipped as one of the favorites before the start of the season, the Chiefs have endured a tough start to their campaign. San Beda showed Arellano it still has a long way to go if it wants to contend for the crown this year with a 64-57 trouncing last week.
Mapua failed to build on a double overtime triumph over San Sebastian, fading in the fourth quarter against Lyceum in a 59-74 loss.