Chiefs try to keep Final 4 bid alive vs Blazers

Arellano tries to keep its slim hopes of making the Final Four alive today when it battles St. Benilde in the 89th NCAA basketball tournament at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Gametime is at 4 p.m. with the Chiefs gunning for a third straight win that will allow them to stay in the thick of the fight for a semifinal spot against San Sebastian and Emilio Aguinaldo College.

A loss will automatically shut the door on the Chiefs, who have yet to reach the postseason since joining the league in 2009.

The Blazers are on a four-game slide with their last outing against Lyceum last Thursday cut short in the third quarter due to leaks in the roof of the venue.

Mapua and Lyceum tangle at 6 p.m.  in a battle of teams already out of the running for a semifinal spot.

The Cardinals are riding high on their 81-76 upset of defending champion San Beda last week. The victory ended a 13-game losing streak for Mapua.

“We just want to finish the season well,” said Mapua rookie coach Atoy Co. “If we get more wins then, I’ll be really happy. What’s important is we fight and battle in every game.”

The Pirates, who have beaten Letran, San Beda and Perpetual Help this season, overcame the Jose Rizal U Bombers, 73-72, last Saturday on a last-second heave by Dexter Zamora.

“We just need to be consistent,” said Lyceum coach Bonnie Tan.

With John Pinto picking up his game in the second round, the Chiefs are poised for a strong finish this season.

Playing free from the burden of expectations, the  Chiefs won their last two games against Mapua (115-75) and Emilio Aguinaldo College (71-70).