Stags battle Bombers sans top gun

San Sebastian takes on lowly Jose Rizal today, confident of notching its fourth straight victory even without top gun Leo Najorda as the Stags shoot for solo fourth in the 81st NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Astrodome.

The high-leaping, sweet-shooting Najorda was suspended for one game by the NCAA Management Committee chaired by Fr. Vic Lao of host Letran Wednesday night for a flagrant foul he committed against Perpetual Help’s Rommel Balboa in SSC’s thrilling 76-75 overtime win last Monday.

Lao said the Mancom upheld the recommendation of league commissioner Joe Lipa.

With or without Najorda, however, the Stags remain the favorites in the 4 p.m. encounter owing to their three-game streak after dropping their first three assignments.

Jose Rizal, on the other hand, has dropped its first six games.

Defending champion Philippine Christian University and 2003 titlist Letran show the way with identical 6-0 (win-loss) slates with Mapua behind them with a 4-2 record.

Expected to step up for the Stags is the prolific Red Vicente, who actually took charge for the Recoletos-based cagers when Najorda was thrown out, exploding with 25 points, including clutch shots in overtime play that clinched the win for SSC.

Meanwhile, San Beda and Perpetual Help, last year’s runner-up, collide at 2 p.m., each gunning for a victory that would keep their flickering Final Four bids alive. Both teams are tied at sixth spot with 1-5 cards.

The Red Lions hope to come up with a big follow-up to their lopsided 71-44 victory over the Bombers Monday that snapped their five-game skid.

"We hope to start something big from this win," said San Beda coach Nash Racela.