Ateneo battles Mapua with ‘benefit’ game vs La Salle looming

Ateneo is the lone undefeated team in the FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup and the Eagles look to keep it that way when they face skidding Mapua on Friday at FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The Eagles have been routing the FilOil field by an average of 25.5 points per game and with a relatively light schedule on their plate, no one can blame the Katipunan school if it looks forward to next Tuesday’s titanic matchup against rival La Salle.

For organizers of the tournament, the showdown of the rivals has a special meaning as the game will serve as a fundraiser for longtime barker Rolly Manlapaz who is currently ill.

The league will sell separate tickets to the first two matches of the June 12 offering. Prices for the Ateneo-La Salle showdown are: courtside P450, lower box 275, and upper box P100. The tickets will include the Gilas Pilipinas-Emilio Aguinaldo College clash in the 7 p.m. nightcap.

Tickets will be sold at the venue gate.

For now, Ateneo must get past Mapua using its league-leading offense (87.4 points per game) and defense (61.9 ppg).

Ateneo is coming off a 108-44 destruction of Emilio Aguinaldo College. The 64-point winning margin is the largest margin of victory in the 12-year history of the competition.

The Cardinals have lost three straight after winning their first four assignments. The last loss by Mapua came at the hands of the Gilas Cadets, who leaned on Ken Tuffin’s two consecutive triples to spark a run that forged a 97-78 win.

“I think we kept the game close and even had a chance to win it against the national team, which is composed of probably the best in college now. Good learning for us,” Mapua coach Atoy Co said.

Adamson, meanwhile, battles San Sebastian at 6:30 p.m. while Letran opens the day’s schedule when it faces Saint Benilde at 12:30 p.m.

There is a subplot to that match as Letran will field big man Christian Fajarito, who used to play for the Blazers before transferring to Intramuros. The Knights have also added Larry Muyang (La Salle) and Bonbon Battiler and Fran Yu (University of the East) to their lineup.

San Beda plays against Perpetual Altas in the second game as the Lions go up against their former coach, Frankie Lim, who now calls the shots for the Altas.

The Red Lions are coming off a rousing 72-70 victory over La Salle, where they dealt the Archers their first loss in seven outings and may have a grudge to bear against Lim and the Altas.

Lim was able to pry center Ben Adamos from San Beda.