SSC Stags eye share of lead vs Dolphins

Defending champion San Sebastian tries to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to Perpetual Help of Rizal the last time out as it battles Philippine Christian University at resumption today of the 79th NCAA basketball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

"Masyado kaming nag-kumpiyansa," said San Sebastian coach Arturo Valenzona, referring to the Stags’ 65-72 loss to the Altas last Friday.

For many, however, San Sebastian lost because its veterans simply failed to step up.

There was Clark Moore, the 6-foot-7 Fil-Am expected to lead the Stags’s bid but who failed to score a single point in his more than 25-minute stint on the floor. Like Moore, Leomar Najorda, Nicole Uy and Michael Gonzales likewise struggled offensively down the stretch.

Meanwhile, the Letran Knights tangle with the winless Blazers at 2 p.m., likewise hoping to post a victory and gain a share of the lead.

The Knights, who beat the San Beda Red Lions, 69-63, last week, are heavily-over the Blazers, who are winless in two games.

Louie Alas, back with the Knights for the second season in a row after a three-year stint in the pro-ranks, said playing steady and forcing the opposing team to commit errors will be crucial factors in their bid to join the leaders.

"If we can play steady, step up on our defense and play aggressive, we have a strong chance of getting another win," said Alas, who steered Letran to its title conquest in 1998.