NCAA: Stags, Lions take on lowly foes

SAN SEBASTIAN and San Beda gun for their 8th win today when they go up against separate opponents to kick off second-round action of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at San Juan Arena.

The Stags will take on the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals at 2 p.m., while the Red Lions square off with the Lyceum Pirates at 4 p.m.

Tied with the idle Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers for the lead at 7-2, the Stags and Lions are expected to encounter little resistance against their respective rivals, who are in the bottom of the standings at 2-7.

San Sebastian will once again parade its formidable lineup led by its big-scoring trio of Calvin Abueva, Ronald Pascual and Ian Sangalang.

The Stags are also coming off a morale-boosting victory over the two-time defending champion Lions, 80-71.

In that win, the hard-working, do-it-all Pascual topscored with 28 points, including seven three-pointers.

Pro-bound Abueva added 21 points aside from grabbing 21 rebounds and issuing nine assists. Sangalang produced nine points and 10 rebounds.

The Lions ended their first-round assignments with a 65-43 blowout of their traditional rival, the Letran Knights, last Thursday.

Guard Melo Lim topscored with 12 points for the Lions who also got inspired performances from its bench through Nigerian Olaide Adeogun and Arthur dela Cruz, who scored 10 points each.

 
Idle Perpetual Help shadows the three leaders with a 6-3 card followed by Letran, debuted with an upset win over San Sebastian, 80-74.