Red-hot Stags go for Final Four vs Blazers

Defending champion San Sebastian meets pacesetting St. Benilde today with the Stags hoping to stretch its six-game winning streak and nail the second Final Four slot in the 78th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Stags will go into the 4 p.m. match fresh from a 74-59 demolition of Letran the other day. They will try to ride the momentum of that crushing victory in their bid to join the Blazers in the next round.

San Sebastian, in second with an 8-2 win-loss slate, will also try to avenge its first-round loss to St. Benilde, whose only defeat in 10 games so far this season was dealt by giant-killer Philippine Christian University. The Stags’ other loss was also dealt by the PCU Dolphins.

The Dolphins take to the floor at 2 p.m. against Jose Rizal College. A victory by PCU, running third with a 7-3 record, will push them one win closer to the Final Four. The Heavy Bombers are in solo fourth at 6-4.

The Blazers barely defeated the Stags, 74-72, in their initial encounter a month ago with Jan Anthony Coching scoring the marginal basket in the dying seconds of the game.

"We simply failed to execute well the last time and our defense wasn’t consistent against the fast-paced approach of St. Benilde. But we’re trying to correct those mistakes," said San Sebastian coach Arturo Valenzona.