Lions target share of lead versus Pirates

Games today

10 a.m. – San Sebastian vs EAC (jrs)

12 noon  – San Beda vs Lyceum (jrs)

2 p.m. – San Sebastian vs EAC (srs)

4 p.m. – San Beda vs Lyceum (srs)

MANILA, Philippines - Foiled the last time out, San Beda guns for a share of the lead with Letran again as it takes on ousted Lyceum side today in the 91st NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Lions try to bounce back from a sorry 86-88 defeat to the Perpetual Help Altas last week. The loss spoiled the Lions’ bid to catch the Knights (11-3) at first.

But San Beda is heavily favored to nail the win in its 4 p.m. encounter with Lyceum, which, however, is going all out to spoil the Red Lions bid and improve its 3-11 record.

“We have another chance to do what we had failed to do the last time. Hopefully, we’ll be able to execute it this time,” said San Beda coach Jamike Jarin, who is expected to pin his hopes again on the troika of Ola Adeogun, Arthur dela Cruz and Baser Amer.

The 6-8 Adeogun had 26 points and eight rebounds the last game while hobbled by early foul trouble.

The Pirates, on the other hand, pin their hopes on Cameroonian Jean Victor Nguidjol and Joseph Gabayni with the former dishing out double-double games in their last few games.

Gabayni, meanwhile, fired 21 points in his return from a school-imposed three-game suspension.

“It’s always hard to play a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Also, Lyceum has been a solid team since the start of the season, it’s just that breaks didn’t go their way much,” said Jarin, whose Lions beat the Pirates, 97-74, in their first round meeting last July 21.

Meanwhile, San Sebastian (3-10) and Emilio Aguinaldo (2-11) clash in a non-bearing contest at 2 p.m.