Lyceum shoots for 10th straight finals stint

MANILA, Philippines - Senior basketball finals will be at stake while the top volleyball teams try to move closer to championship seats in the 41st WNCAA tournament today.

Four-time defending champion Lyceum, which swept its five elimination games, has a twice-to-beat edge against University of Asia and the Pacific. Game time is 9:30 a.m. at the Lady Pirates’ homecourt.

The other semifinal pairing between College of St. Benilde and Rizal Technological University at 2 p.m. is a do-or-die duel.

Philippine Women’s University has clinched the first Senior B finals seat. The winner of the quarterfinal games pitting Centro Escolar University against Emilio Aguinaldo College at 8 a.m. and Miriam College versus San Beda College Alabang at 12:30 p.m. will dispute the other championship berth.

In Senior A volleyball, 10-time defending champion Lyceum will try to bounce back from an upset loss to RTU in last week’s final elimination playdate when it battles Miriam at 9 a.m. at the St. Scholastica gym. San Beda and UA&P collide at 12 noon. The winners face off for the right to play RTU in the best-of-three finals.

The Senior B quarterfinals will have host CEU taking on EAC at 10:30 a.m. and St. Scholastica going up against La Consolacion College Manila in the 1:30 p.m. main game. Winners dispute the second finals seat and a date with PWU in the championship.  

In junior basketball games Friday of the tournament being supported by Lenovo, Mikasa, Molten, Sonak Sports Trading, Solar Sports, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Taichi, Mojo, CEMG, Goody and MJC Press, San Beda dumped PWU, 60-42, to move to second place at 5-1 behind unbeaten defending champion Miriam (5-0).

Angelicum College occupies third spot at 4-1 after stopping St. Paul College Pasig, 93-46. Rookie Poveda beat Chiang Kai Shek College, 44-34, and St. Jude Catholic School dominated La Salle College, 63-35, to share fourth place at 4-2.

Angelicum retained the solo junior volleyball lead at 6-0 with a 25-18, 25-6, 25-8 victory over St. Jude while defending junior volleyball champion St. Scholastica roared to its fifth win in as many starts after downing St. Paul, 25-12, 25-13, 14-25, 25-8. (END)