Lions seek outright finals slot

“Let’s not waste this opportunity.”

That was the simple message of San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez to his Red Lions, who go for a sweep of the NCAA Season 95 men’s basketball tournament’s elimination round that will also mean an automatic title series berth.

San Beda battles fierce rival Lyceum at 4 p.m. on Thursday at Filoil Flying V Centre, with a win giving the Lions their 18th straight victory and the luxury of watching the next three teams in the Final Four slug it out in a stepladder playoffs to determine the second finalist.

“I told them that we’ve gone this far. Let’s not waste this opportunity,” Fernandez said.

But completing the perfect round at the expense of the Pirates won’t be a stroll.

“It’s a big game for us as we play for momentum going into the homestretch of the season,” Lyceum coach Topex Robinson said.

More than the winning feeling entering the semifinal playoffs, beating the Lions would mean making them sweat it out in a semifinal series, compared to playing them later on in the finals where they will be well rested.

Letran, meanwhile, seeks to cement No. 3 when it battles Emilio Aguinaldo in the other game at 3 p.m.