The top two teams may be way ahead of the pack, but Emilio Aguinaldo College hopes to narrow the gap in the NCAA Season 93 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday.
“We have a veteran squad and it’s a matter of getting that will to win,” said EAC coach Ariel Sison.
The Generals shoot for solo third against the Arellano Chiefs at 2 p.m. at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
A third win in five games will put the Generals behind unbeaten Lyceum (6-0) and defending champion San Beda (5-1).
Mapua and St. Benilde, both struggling at 1-4, try to climb out of the cellar in the other match at 4 p.m.
It’s the Blazers’ strongest chance to win on court as their lone victory came off Perpetual Help’s forfeiture of their first game.
Their junior counterparts sandwich the games with the Brigadiers and the Junior Chiefs tangling at 12 noon and the Red Robins and Junior Blazers clashing at 6 p.m.
Although the Generals haven’t seen action in two weeks, Sison hopes his players will show the same focus they had in their 77-72 triumph over the Cardinals.
In that game, the Generals wasted a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter but recovered just in time behind Sydney Onwubere, Jerome Garcia and Raymund Pascua.
“I told them (during the game) no worries, let it happen—good defense, focus, that’s all,” said Sison.
Onwubere dropped 22 points while Juju Bautista finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
A loss will put the Generals outside the top four while the Chiefs will jump to a share of third with the Letran Knights at 3-3.
The Chiefs aim to rebound from an 82-75 loss to the Knights last week where Kent Salado fueled a late run that fell short.
Lervin Flores delivered a personal season-best of 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for the Chiefs, while Salado wound up with 15 markers, four assists and three boards.
Their individual efforts, though, went for naught as the Chiefs absorbed a second straight setback and fell into a four-way tie at 2-3 with Perpetual Help, Jose Rizal U and San Sebastian.