Pirates raid Generals’ lair, eye 7-0 start

Lyceum seeks to keep its winning rampage when it visits Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) in the NCAA Season 93 men’s basketball tournament on Thursday at EAC Gym in Manila.

The Pirates have been dominating behind CJ Perez, the energetic forward averaging a league-best 19.2 points a game on top of 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and two steals.

Moreover, there’s the Pirates’ dreaded full-court press anchored on the pesky Marcelino twins Jaycee and Jayvee that kept them as the only unbeaten squad in the 10-team field.

But coach Ariel Sison thinks homecourt advantage may give his Generals a chance.

“We want to be the first team to beat [Lyceum],” said Sison.

It’s a bold pronouncement, though, going into the 4 p.m. match, the fourth home-and-away playdate dubbed as the “NCAA on Tour.”

The Pirates streaked to their sixth straight win by drubbing the Perpetual Help Altas, 76-58, on Friday.

“We’ll have to prepare and find a way to break [Lyceum’s streak],” said Sison.

Two days ago, the Generals tripped last year’s runner-up Arellano, 85-79, to claim solo third behind the Pirates and the San Beda Red Lions (5-1).

But the Generals, may have to do without Hamadou Laminou, the 6-foot-9 Cameroonian who sustained a left knee injury late in the first quarter on Tuesday.

So Sison expects Sydney Onwubere, who’s playing his final season, to step up.