MANILA, Philippines—Arellano seeks a tie for fourth when it battles Letran today in the 86th NCAA basketball tournament at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Carrying a 5-4 record, the Chiefs hope to catch up with the Mapua Cardinals in going for a repeat victory over the Knights in their 4 p.m. showdown.
The game is just as crucial for the Knights, who are on the brink of a losing season with just three wins to show in 10 games.
Now outsiders to challenge for a Final Four spot, Emilio Aguinaldo College and St. Benilde collide in the first game at 2 p.m.
The Blazers and the Generals both own 2-8 records and are coming off one-sided losses to defending champion San Sebastian and San Beda, respectively, last Friday.
St. Benilde prevailed in its first round meeting with EAC, 77-65, making the Blazers, who have been getting big games from rookie Carlo Lastimosa, slight favorites in their duel.
The Chiefs barely slipped past the Knights, 77-76, in their first round meeting early this month.
Jerald Lapuz emerged as the unlikely hero for the Chiefs, finishing with a career-high 29 points and 10 boards.
But Arellano will come into the game shorthanded following the one-game ban on Vergel Zulueta and the two-game suspension on Erwin Catapang for their role in the postgame melee in the victory over Mapua.
Zulueta has been a key contributor off the bench for the Chiefs, averaging nearly 10 points and three boards.
The Knights are still reeling from a 60-63 loss to the Cardinals in a game where they led by 14 in the final three minutes.
Stopping Lastimosa, who is coming off a 26-point effort against San Sebastian, will be foremost on the Generals’ gameplan.
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