Red Lions eye twice-to-beat semis bonus vs also-ran Cardinals today

EARLY semifinalist San Beda shoots for the twice-to-beat bonus today even as San Sebastian and Jose Rizal U collide in a crucial game that could determine the last Final Four spot in the 89th NCAA basketball tournament.

Riding high on a five-game winning streak, the Red Lions tangle with the slumping Mapua Cardinals at 4 p.m., before the Stags-Bombers duel at 6 p.m. at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

The Stags, running fourth at 8-6, will be looking to bounce back from a 68-72 loss to San Beda last Monday and move closer to a spot in the Final Four.

And with Emilio Aguinaldo College losing to Arellano last Saturday, the Stags can move within a win of a playoff berth for a Final Four spot.

Standing in their way is a motivated JRU squad, which finally arrested a five-game slide by beating Mapua, 73-56, last Thursday.

At 6-8, the Bombers only have an outside chance of barging into the Final Four.

But they can muddle up the race for the last Final Four spot with a repeat victory over the Stags, whom they repelled, 67-63, in their first-round meeting.

San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez expects his Lions to not leave anything to chance against the Cardinals.

“They’re still here to compete,” said Fernandez of the Cardinals, who are on a 13-game losing spell. “They have a competitive coach in Atoy Co who hates losing. For sure, they will come out motivated against us.”

The Lions, with Baser Amer and Art Dela Cruz leading the charge, dominated the Cardinals, 78-53, in their first-round clash last July.

The defending champions have been pushed to the limit in their last two games against possible Final Four foes, surviving Perpetual Help in overtime and climbing back from a double-digit deficit in the final period to topple San Sebastian.

“These kind of games prepare us for the Final Four,” said San Beda center Ola Adeogun, who pumped in 26 points in the victory over the Stags.