Generals eye fifth spot after first round of elimination

MANILA, Philippines - Emilio Aguinaldo seeks to move up to joint fifth with San Sebastian as it clashes with a struggling Mapua side in Thursday's last playdate of the first round of elimination in the 89th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Generals are hoping to ride on their fight-marred 79-63 victory over the Arellano U Chiefs last Aug. 17 that sent them at solo sixth spot and another win in their 6 p.m. showdown with the Cardinals would send at No. 5 alongside the Stags, who own a 4-5 (win-loss) record.

“We have to show defensive intensity for us to keep the momentum,” said EAC coach Gerry Esplana in Filipino.

EAC did just then when it brought down Arellano U.

In fact, the Generals found a way to neutralize Fil-Canadian James Forrester, one of the Chiefs top scorers. So frustrated was Forrester that he fought EAC rookie Sydney Onwubere and had to be restrained by venue bouncers to pacify him.

Onwubere ended up getting assessed a one-game suspension that he will serve in today’s duel with Mapua while Forrester received a two-game ban.

The Generals have been drawing strength from the duo of Cameroonian Noube Happi and Jan Jamon, who have been leading the way with the former averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds and the latter 11 points with some long-range shooting on the side.

While EAC seeks to move inch by inch to the magic four, Mapua is desperately aiming to dig its way out of a huge hole after losing six straight games.

The Cardinals’ last win came last July 1, a 104-99 triumph over San Sebastian, and have since went on a downward spiral from there to fall straight to the bottom with a 1-7 slate.