Lions, Knights relive old feud

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda and Letran clash today in a duel of league rivals chasing unbeaten joint leaders San Sebastian and Jose Rizal U in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Lions and the Knights also put their respective streaks on the line in their 2 p.m. encounter with the former coming off three straight wins after dropping a 77-83 decision to the Stags last July 1. The reigning three-peat champions have beaten their last three rivals by an average winning margin of 27 points.

But the Muralla-based squad is also on a roll after losing its first two games, racking up three victories in row, including an 86-69 rout of St. Benilde last Monday.

Those streaks sent San Beda to solo third with a 4-1 card behind last year’s losing finalist Jose Rizal and San Sebastian, which both tote 5-0 slates. Letran, on the other hand, seize solo fourth with a 3-2 record.

The San Beda-Letran rivalry dates back to the 1950s with the Knights, then headed by Lauro Mumar, and the Lions led by Carlos Loyzaga disputing the annual NCAA championship up to the 70s.