MANILA, Philippines - San Beda tangles with ousted Arellano today, looking for no less than a victory in a bid to keep its tradition of emerging as the top seed team for the eighth straight year in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.
The Lions turned back the Letran Knights, 76-72, in overtime last Monday, finally gaining the breakthrough for No. 1 at 14-3 after a protracted battle with their arch rivals and in one stretch of the double round elims – the Perpetual Help Altas.
But they need to dispose of the Chiefs in their 6 p.m. match to formalize their claim on the top spot for eighth consecutive seasons.
A reversal, however, will set up a playoff for the top seeding with Letran on Oct. 29.
“The school has a tradition to continue and there’s a lot of pride at stake so we’re definitely going for a win,†said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez.
San Beda has won the championship in all but one of seven straight seasons that it finished on top after the double-round elims. The only time the Lions wound up No. 1 but lost the crown was in 2009 when they lost to the San Sebastian Stags.
Interestingly, the two times San Beda needed a playoff to clinch the top seed were in 2011 and 2009 after beating San Sebastian on both occasions.
But Fernandez said they don’t want to go through a playoff and vow to finish off the Chiefs.
“The best option for us, of course, is to win our last game for us to get to re-charge while having more time to prepare physically and mentally for the Final Four,†said Fernandez.
The top seed will take on the loser of the playoff for third between Perpetual Help and San Sebastian, which finished with identical 11-7 slates, on Tuesday. The No. 2 and 3 teams clash in the other semis duel.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, are going all out to finish on a winning note and score a follow up to their 63-54 win over the Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers last Thursday.
Emilio Aguinaldo and Mapua square off in the first game at 4 p.m.