SAN Sebastian College coach Egay Macaraya is expecting a tough battle against slumping College of St. Benilde.
The Golden Stags’ poise will be tested when they take on the Blazers today in the 97th NCAA basketball tournament at the La Salle Green Hills Gym in Mandaluyong.
The match is set at 3 p.m. after the curtain-raiser pitting Arellano University and Lyceum at 12 o’clock.
“They are a very good hustle team,” Macaraya said of CSB. “Ang importante, we will try to be composed the whole game.”
San Sebastian will go into the game armed with a 70-64 win over Jose Rizal University three days ago.
The likes of JM Calma, Rommel Calahat, Kenneth Villapando, and Alex Desoyo are expected to lead the way for the Stags in their bid to improve their 3-4 record and break a tie with Emilio Aguinaldo College.
The Blazers have lost two straight, counting a 65-84 setback at the hands of the Mapua University Cardinals last Tuesday that dropped them to 4-3, good for fourth.
CSB strategist Charles Tiu said his wards must show a sense of urgency.
“San Sebastian is a good, big physical team. They have size and length. They are also deep, and JM Calma is going to be a problem for us,” Tiu told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday. “It should be a very difficult game.”
“We’re a little down right now and angry, and it’s a must win game for us.”
Will Gozum, Robi Nayve, AJ Benso, and Miggy Corteza will be counted upon by the Blazers.
With a 2-4 slate, the Chiefs are aching to bounce back from a 68-82 defeat to the San Beda University Red Lions last Sunday.
Arellano will pin its hopes on Justin Arana, Gelo Sablan, and Axel Doromal.
The Pirates nearly stunned the defending champions Letran Knights but fell short 77-80 five days ago.
Renzo Navarro, John Barba, JM Bravo, and Omar Larupay will carry the fight for Lyceum in its try to raise its 1-5 record.
The top two squads after the single-round eliminations will advance to the Final Four, while the third to sixth seeds will clash in the play-in round.
