SAN BEDA seeks to regain a piece of the lead today even as Emilio Aguinaldo College hopes to keep its Final Four bid alive in the 89th NCAA basketball tournament at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
If the Lions (13-3) prevail over the dangerous Arellano Chiefs (6-9) in their 4 p.m. game, they will not only tie idle Letran for the lead but also turn their Oct. 21 date with the Knights into a duel for the No. 1 seed in the semifinals.
The Generals, who are just a full game behind No. 4 San Sebastian with an 8-8 record, tangle with the Mapua Cardinals in the 4 p.m. game.
Only in their fourth season in the league, the Generals have never been this close to reaching the Final Four this late into the season.
But they have no choice but to sweep their last two games and hope that the 9-7 Stags don’t go beyond 10 victories to at least forge a playoff for a semifinal berth.
The Perpetual Help Altas have earlier secured the No. 3 spot in the semifinals with an 11-6 slate.
“Each game is important for us,” said EAC coach Gerry Esplana. “We cant look too far ahead.”
The Cardinals are on a roll after stunning San Beda, 81-76, last Monday to end a 13-game slide with just their second win of the season.
“We just want to finish the season well,” said Mapua coach Atoy Co, who is expected to lean on Jessie Saitanan anew.
Stung by the loss to the Cardinals, the Lions hope to come out stronger behind Baser Amer and Ola Adeogun.
“The loss reminded us that we should never take teams for granted,” said Lions coach Boyet Fernandez.
The Chiefs pose a serious threat to the Lions as they are riding high on a two-game winning run.
John Pinto has been at the forefront of the Chiefs’ late surge with his playmaking and ability to make big shots down the stretch.
The Chiefs are holding on to slim hopes of reaching the Final Four and Pinto said playing free from the burden of expectations has helped them in the last two games.