Dolphins, Cards gun for 4th in row

Defending champion Philippine Christian U and Mapua seek to keep their pristine slate and join solo leader Letran at the helm as the two take on separate rivals today in the 81st NCAA basketball tournament at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Tailing closely the Knights (4-0) at second spot with three wins apiece, the Dolphins and Cardinals shoot for a fourth triumph against the Jose Rizal Bombers and the Perpetual Help Atlas at 4 and 2 p.m., respectively.

Eyes are on Beau Belga again as the 6’6" vastly-improved sophomore aims to duplicate a 12-point, 15-rebound effort in a 54-40 walloping by the Taft-based dribblers of the Altas and he is expected to shine again against a Jose Rizal squad seeking a first win following a three-game skid.

But PCU coach Junel Baculi isn’t going to play too complacent against the Cris Calilan-mentored Bombers.

"We’ll be wary against Jose Rizal, we’ll be ready for their zone defense," said Baculi, who has won six titles in the Philippine Basketball League.

Ian Vincent Garrido, who provides Belga and last year’s rookie MVP Gabby Espinas the needed additional defensive help inside from the bench, will be a doubtful starter due to an ankle injury.

Using the same formula PCU employed, Mapua drowned a luckless San Beda side, 62-53, also last Wednesday to remain unscathed in three matches.

Hermes Sumalinog drained four of his team eight triples against the Lions to finish with 14 points. Defense also played a key role for the Cardinals as they held their foe to a nightmarish 20-of-69 clip from the field.

"We got to stay focused and always in high spirit," said Mapua coach Horry Lim. "But we also have to keep respecting our opponent and not play over confident."

Truly, it won’t be a walk in the park for the Cardinals as the Altas (0-3) have kept an almost intact lineup that got them straight into last season’s finals where they were eventually swept by the Dolphins in two games.

This meant containing, if not stopping completely, Perpetual Help’s main man˜Fritz Condrad Bauzon.

Bauzon, currently the league’s most lethal perimeter shooter, was blanked by the Dolphins’ defense and it sure is tactic Lim is going to use in beating a struggling Perpetual Help.

"Hopefully, we could duplicate what PCU did to Perpetual Help. We also need to stop their shooters, particularly Bauzon," said Lim.