Altas, Blazers try to enhance Final 4 bid

MANILA, Philippines - Perpetual Help and St. Benilde try to stay inside the magic four as they take on a pair of rivals out to boost their respective semifinal bids in the 90th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City today.

Tied with idle Jose Rizal at third with 6-4 (win-loss) slates, the Altas battle the surging Letran Knights at 2 p.m. while the Blazers face off with the Pirates at 4 p.m.

Perpetual Help, coming off a scrambling 65-60 win over Lyceum last Saturday, edged Letran, 85-82, in their first round meeting but the Knights have bounced back from a woeful start to be in the hunt at 4-6, including victories over the league-leading San Beda Red Lions (9-2) and the Bombers.

“Letran is starting to play confident, which makes the Knights more dangerous,” said Perpetual coach Aric del Rosario in Filipino.

Letran coach Caloy Garcia sees a close contest against a team he likens to his Knights.

“Perpetual Help is just like us. They don’t have bigs, they’re all-Filipino, they have strong wing men. So playing them is like playing ourselves,” said Garcia.

St. Benilde mentor Gabby Velasco, meanwhile, is expecting a physical and rugged contest against Lyceum.

“We have to be physically and mentally prepared against a team like Lyceum, which always play tough,” said Velasco, whose charges outduelled the Pirates, 86-77, in the first round last Aug. 2.

Focus will be on Perpetual Help’s Harold Arboleda and Juneric Baloria and St. Benilde’s Juan Paolo Taha and Mark Romero after the four were drafted in the PBA rookie draft last Sunday.

Arboleda was tabbed by Talk N’ Text in the second round and Baloria by Blackwater Elite in the third while Taha and Romero were picked by Kia Motors in the third round.