Stags rue injury-hit season, target one more win

SAN SEBASTIAN will end NCAA Season 92 with a losing record, but that doesn’t mean the Stags are disappointed with the way their campaign has panned out.

“We had the misfortune of seeing some of our top players getting injured at the start of the season,” said San Sebastian coach Egay Macaraya. “But we’re happy we made a big leap in the second round, which we could bring into the next season.”

With the bulk of the squad still eligible next year, the future looks bright for the Stags, who are looking to cap a solid second round showing with a victory against the Jose Rizal U Heavy Bombers at 2 p.m. today at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The Stags unveiled a gem of a rookie in RK Ilagan, who showed a deft touch from beyond the arc in several games, and drew a string of solid performances from veterans Allyn Bulanadi and Michael Calisaan late in the season.

San Sebastian started the season with a 1-9 record—a tough stretch where they went winless for almost two months. But the Stags found the right combinations in the second round, where they have won six of their eight games.

The Heavy Bombers, who are at fifth spot with a 9-8 record, got eliminated from Final Four contention last week, despite having most of their squad from Season 91 in the lineup.

“It’s been a tough season and we’ve been inconsistent, but we want to finish the season on a high note,” said JRU coach Vergel Meneses.

Deposed champion Letran tackles Emilio Aguinaldo College in the second game at 4 p.m.

“This is still a young team and we are looking forward to adding a few more players to fill in for things that we’re missing this year,” said Letran coach Jeff Napa.