Bombers, Altas duel for third spot

MANILA, Philippines -  The NCAA Final Four race heats up today as Jose Rizal U and Perpetual Help dispute third place in what promises to be another fierce battle between two contenders at The Arena in San Juan.

The Bombers barely got past the Altas, 62-61, in their first round faceoff as Dave Sanchez, left open underneath, scored on a putback off Philip Paniamogan’s miss in the closing seconds to snatch the victory last July 23.

“We were one defensive stop away from victory in that game and someone just forgot to box out Sanchez,” said Perpetual Help coach Aric del Rosario.

The Altas hope to erase the stigma of that sorry setback with a victory in their 4 p.m. clash but the Bombers are also out to score a repeat, ensuring a slam-bang action between two teams chasing league-leading San Beda (10-2) and second running Arellano U (9-3).

JRU and Perpetual are just a game behind at 8-4 with the Altas also hoping to ride on the momentum of their three-game run, capped by an emphatic 101-86 rout of the Chiefs last Monday.