LONGTIME National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rivals San Sebastian Stags and Letran Knights lock horns today in a key Season 93 match which has a lot of bearing for the Final Four race.
To do battle at 2 p.m. at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City, the season hosts Stags (6-6) and Muralla-based Knights (7-6) are out to boost their claim for one of the two remaining spots in the semifinals of the ongoing season of the country’s longest-standing collegiate league.
Lost in their first encounter, the Stags, currently outside of the playoff picture looking in at fifth place, shoot for a victory that would allow them to exact payback on their rivals as well as push them inside the semifinal race mix.
They are coming off a convincing 73-61 win over the College of St. Benilde in their last game that gave further boost to their campaign to go deep in the tournament.
Enzo Navarro led the way for the Stags with 16 points while Michael Calisaan had a double-double of 11 points and 11 boards.
Ryan Costelo was the other San Sebastian player who scored in double digits with 10 markers.
“Our goal first is to enter the Final Four. If we get to do that then it’s like winning championship already. This victory showed the boys really want to experience being in the playoffs,” said San Sebastian coach Egay Macaraya after their win over the Blazers.
ON A ROLL ANEW
Looking to send the Stags crashing and pad their own cause are the Knights, who are now back in the swing after hitting a rough patch midway into the tournament.
Letran won its second straight victory in its last game against the hapless Mapua Cardinals, 88-79, on Friday.
The Knights used a key second-quarter run to take the fight out of the Cardinals and coasted to the victory the rest of the way and claim third spot in the standings three-fourths into the tournament.
Rey Nambatac had 25 points for Letran while Bong Quinto finished with 22 points.
Jerrick Balanza and JP Calvo had 14 and 13 points, respectively.
The win pushed Letran to back-to-back wins after losing three straight previously. It also won for Quinto player of the week honors from the press corps after posting averages of 21 points, nine rebounds and 2.5 assists in their recent victories.
“We are now finding our groove in the second round and starting to win after a tough first round. Our defense held well today and it’s a good win heading into our game against San Sebastian,” said Letran coach Jeff Napa.
Meanwhile, in the second game at 4 p.m., the league-leading and still-unbeaten Lyceum Pirates go for their 14th victory in as many games, taking on the middling Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals (6-7).
The Pirates officially claimed a Final Four spot last time around when they beat the Perpetual Help Altas, 94-53, last Thursday while the Generals are looking to bounce back after absorbing an 84-79 defeat at the hands of the Arellano Chiefs on Friday. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo