Lions fancied vs Cards; Knights battle Pirates

Games today (The Arena, San Juan)

10 a.m. – Letran vs Lyceum (jrs/srs)

2 p.m. – San Beda vs Mapua (srs/jrs)

MANILA, Philippines - Defending champion San Beda goes up against  Mapua seeking their second win in the 90th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City today.

The Red Lions hope to nail the win for a share of the lead with San Sebastian against last year’s cellar-dweller Cardinals although coach Boyet Fernandez warned his wards not to take Mapua lightly in the 2 p.m. encounter.

 “I keep reminding my players to respect every opponent we will face and play hard,” said Fernandez.

San Beda remained the league’s yardstick competition-wise and the Red Lions underscored their role as one of the favorites with a 57-49 win over Jose Rizal in Saturday’s league opener.  Mapua, which had its worst season in decades after finishing at the bottom with a disappointing 2-16 record last year, earlier bowed to Perpetual Help, 57-91, Monday.

Interestingly, one of the Cardinals’ two triumphs came at the expense of the Lions, a 81-76 decision in the second round.

A win will send San Beda at the helm  along with San Sebastian, which downed Jose Rizal, 88-81, Wednesday to seize the early lead.

Nigerian Ola Adeogun will be the man to watch again after he came through with a 20-point, 14-rebound effort the last time out. He dropped 10 points in a pivotal stretch in the third quarter that put the Lions unassailably ahead.

While San Beda shoots for a share of the lead, last year’s losing finalist Letran and Lyceum gun for a first win as the two collide at 12 noon.

The Knights were on their way to notching their first win after erecting a 10-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter before the Stags came roaring back to snatch an 85-83 win in the inaugurals while the Pirates blew a solid first half with an erratic finish and lost to the Arellano U Chiefs, 93-80, Monday.