Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — San Beda seeks to close in on leader Letran as it clashes with a dangerous Jose Rizal even as Perpetual Help and Arellano University collide with with hopes of staying in the magic four in Thursday’s (August 6) 91st NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.
Over a week after barely surviving the Perpetual Help Altas, 83-81, the Lions shoot for a sixth win in seven outings in their 2 p.m. showdown with the Bombers that would push them closer to the pace-setting Knights, unbeaten in seven starts after an 83-78 win over the Lyceum Pirates Tuesday.
Equally interesting is the 4 p.m. duel between the Altas and the Chiefs, who are tied with the Bombers at third spot with 4-2 (win-loss) records.
With the exception of Letran, all four playing Thursday (August 6) comprised the Final Four cast a season ago with San Beda eventually making the finals and sweeping Arellano U in two games.
The reigning five-peat champion will parade a high-octane offense that averages a whopping 90.5 points a game, second only to the season-best 90.67 points by the Mapua Cardinals.
Pro-bound Arthur dela Cruz has been the anchor of it as he normed 20.67 points a game, league’s highest scoring average second only to 21.5 points by Perpetual Help’s Nigerian star Bright Akhuetie.
And the Lions are not likely to slow down.
“We just want to keep our offense rolling and just run as fast as we can,” said San Beda coach Jamike Jarin.
San Beda though will run into a Jose Rizal team that is the league’s No. 1 defensive team after the latter holds down its foes to a league-high 64.33 points an outing.
“If we can slow them down, we’ll have a chance,” said Jose Rizal mentor Vergel Meneses.
It is worth noting also that the Bombers are on a three-game streak with Tey Teodoro stringing together his best ever performance in the NCAA thus far as he averaged an exceptional 23 points in their last two wins.
“I kept telling him he’s our best player in the team,” said Meneses of Teodoro.
