STUNG the time last out, College of St. Benilde’s defensive game will be tested by Lyceum.
“We are playing a great offensive team in the Pirates,” Blazers coach Charles Tiu said. “I hope we are ready to defend.”
CBS tries to get back on track when it takes on Lyceum today in the 100th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.
The match is set at 2:30 p.m. after Mapua University clashes with San Sebastian College in the curtain-raiser at noon.
The Blazers saw their perfect run come to a screeching halt via a painful 69-71 defeat at the hands of the Letran Knights last Sunday but kept their hold of the lead with a 4-1 card.
CSB will go into the match without starting point guard Jhomel Ancheta, who will serve his one-game suspension for hitting the back of Letran big Pao Javillonar’s head in that fateful defeat.
The Blazers won’t be alone in the lead if the Pirates, who have rolled to three straight wins after starting the season with two straight defeats, score a big win.
Lyceum should go into battle oozing with confidence after stunning last cage wars’ bridesmaid Mapua in a 96-81 win three days ago that boosted its Final Four drive.
While the Pirates can rely on the prolific duo of John Barba and Mclaude Guadaña, who had 25 and 16 points, respectively, the last time, attention should also focus on an unlikely source–Jonathan Daileg.
Daileg scored nine points and ignited a decisive 31-point fourth quarter deluge against the Cardinals.
A Mapua win (3-2) would keep the Cards in the Last Four while the Golden Stags (2-4) are out try to end a four-game losing slump.
