Stags target 14-0; Red Lions face Bombers

MANILA, Philippines—San Sebastian tries to move within a win of matching its longest winning run even as San Beda seeks to formalize its entry to the Final Four in the 87th NCAA basketball tournament at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Photo by Ejay Amador

The Stags shoot for a 14th straight victory against the cellar-dwelling Perpetual Help Altas at 2 p.m. before the Lions face the Jose Rizal Bombers at 4 p.m.

The Lions can become the third team to clinch a spot in the postseason with a victory over the Bombers.

San Sebastian, with a 13-0 mark, and Letran, sporting an 11-2 record, earlier bagged the first two Final Four berths with plenty to spare.

“We just can’t afford to relax,” said Stags coach Topex Robinson, whose squad could move within a win shy of tying the 15-0 start of the Stags two years ago under Ato Agustin.

The Bombers, powered by the all-around game of Jeckster Apinan, ended a five-game slide and kept their Final Four hopes alive with a 79-69 victory over Arellano last Monday.

But winning two in a row will be a daunting task for the Bombers, considering that the Lions have displayed sharp form this season.

Flaunting their deep arsenal, the Lions posted the most lopsided win of the season by crushing Emilio Aguinaldo College, 118-64, last Sept. 2 for their 10th win in 11 games.

Garvo Lanete and Jake Pascual, who made the shortlist for the national team bound for the Southeast Asian Games, will lead San Beda, which is gunning for its fifth title in six years.