THIS is a game College of St. Benilde cannot afford to lose– if the Blazers want to enjoy a big prize in the Final Four.
CSB takes on San Beda University today for the No. 2 spot that is rewarded with a twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four battle of the 98th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.
The match is set at 3 p.m., with the Blazers trying to wind up their eliminations campaign with a much-needed win that will enable them to finish with a 14-4 mark.
But the Red Lions, holding a 12-5 card, are equally determined to foil CSB and forge a playoff for the second seed on Saturday.
Also-ran teams Emilio Aguinaldo College and Arellano University seek to end their season on a high when they collide in the curtain-raiser at noon.
“It’s a big win for us. I would have liked to rest our players and manage their minutes, but they played well. They hit eight threes in the first half, 11 for the game,” Blazers coach Charles Tiu said after his troops clobbered the Chiefs 73-63 two days ago.
“So, I’ll give them credit, but they have nothing to lose. We weren’t smart. We didn’t take care of the ball but it’s a win so we’re just thankful and hopefully we can move forward for our next game,” he added.
The likes of Will Gozum, Migs Oczon, Robi Nayve, Miggy Corteza, JC Cullar, and Jimboy Pasturan will be counted upon by the Taft-based cagers in their bid to repeat their 78-69 triumph over San Beda when they first met last Oct. 9.
The Lions, coming off a 70-61 victory over Jose Rizal University last Saturday, will pin their hopes on James Kwekuteye, JB Bahio, Justine Sanchez, and Jacob Cortez.
