Bombers eye share of lead versus Chiefs today

JOSE Rizal guns for a share of the lead when it battles Arellano today even as Perpetual aims to squeeze into the upper half of the standings when it tangles with St. Benilde in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at San Juan Arena.

The Heavy Bombers will be riding the crest of their 101-83 romp over the Letran Knights last week in their 4 p.m. clash with the Chiefs, who have just three wins to show in nine games.

With Byron Villarias and Nat Matute turning in big numbers against the Knights, JRU coach Vergel Meneses is confident the Bombers will match the 8-2 card of the idle defending champion San Beda Red Lions.

Perpetual Help, enjoying a rare big start under returning coach Aric del Rosario, collides with St. Benilde at 6 p.m. hoping to tie San Sebastian for fourth at 7-3.

The Blazers are gunning for their fourth victory in 10 outings.

Villarias scored 29 points, 16 of them in the second half, while Matute accounted for 25 points for the Bombers, who shot a combined 58 percent from the field against the Knights.

“There is still a lot of work to be done with Perpetual,” acknowledged Del Rosario, who mentored the University of Santo Tomas Tigers to four straight championships in the 1990s including a 14-game sweep for the 1993 title.

“But we are getting there.”

The Altas will also bank on a solid lineup led by 6-foot-6 Nigerian Femi Babayemi and 5-foot-11 guard Jetterson Vidal.