Powerhouses San Beda, Perpetual collide in NCAA

MANILA, Philippines – Four-peat champion San Beda and potential challenger Perpetual Help clash Wednesday in what could be a sneak preview to this year's finals of the 90th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Lions, currently leading the way with a 6-1 (win-loss) record, are gunning to keep their stranglehold of the lead while the Altas, dangerously at third with a 4-2 card, try to make the heated title race a little more interesting as they gun for a shock win in their 2 p.m. encounter.

It will be a battle between the league's top two defensive teams with San Beda holding its foes to a league-high 63.9 points a game and Perpetual Help coming in second by limiting their opponents to just 70.33.

Owe that to the Lions' ability to dominate the boards, averaging another league-high 47.43 rebounds an outing with Nigerian behemoth Ola Adeogun and Arthur dela Cruz leading the way by norming 10 caroms per game each.

The Altas, for their part, have slowed their opponents by leading the way in blocks where they head the league with an average of five a game and steals where they norm 7.67 a game, next only to the Arellano Chiefs' nine.

"It will be decided by the team who plays defense better," said Perpetual Help coach Aric del Rosario in Filipino.

"I'm not going to tire saying this, our offense is our defense," said San Beda mentor Boyet Fernandez.

San Beda has been relying constantly on its bench depth with four of its players – Adeogun, dela Cruz, Baser Amer and Fil-Aussie Anthony Semerad – all averaging in the above 12-point norm.

In contrast, Perpetual Help hopes it has found a way in drawing support from the other players not named Earl Scottie Thompson, Juneric Baloria and Harold Arboleda, who have been doing the heavy lifting.

Thompson leads the league statistical average having averaged 19.67 points on an efficient 60 percent and 81 percent shooting from the field and free throw line, 10.67 rebounds, six assists, 2.67 steals and 1.33 blocks in his first six games.

Baloria has been leading not just his team but the whole league in scoring with a scintillating average of 20.83 points while Arboleda has been doing the yeo-man's job by piling up averages of 14 points, 10.17 caroms, 4.33 dimes, and 1.17 steals.

Meanwhile, Lyceum (4-3) and San Sebastian (3-4) are out to get back on track and end a string of losses as the two collide at 4 p.m.

The Pirates have lost two in a row, one a 78-62 rout at the hands of the Altas last week and another a 77-68 defeat to the St. Benilde Blazers just this Saturday, while the Stags have dropped three straight games including a 75-56 loss to the Lions Friday.