Adamson, NU dispute Filoil Group B top spot

Games Friday

(Filoil Flying V Centre)

11:15 p.m. – Perpetual Help vs Letran

1:30 p.m. – Mapua vs UP

3:15 p.m. – Adamson vs NU

5 p.m. – La Salle vs LPU

MANILA, Philippines – Lyceum of the Philippines seeks to keep its grip of the Group A lead as it clashes with powerhouse La Salle even as Adamson and National U face off for the top spot in Group B Friday in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Pirates are tied with the idle Jose Rizal Bombers at No. 1 in Group A with pristine 3-0 (win-loss) records and will surge ahead if the former could hurdle Ben Mbala and the Archers, the reigning UAAP champions, in the main event of a heavy four-game bill at 5 p.m.

The Falcons and the Bulldogs, for their part, are the top two teams in the other group with equally unbeaten slates of 4-0 and 3-0, respectively, and the winner in their 3:15 p.m. showdown will emerge alone at the helm.

LPU is expected to rely anew on CJ Perez, who has been averaging a team-best 14 points in its three wins including a 96-80 bashing of University of the East a week back, but coach Topex Robinson knows playing La Salle will be their biggest today thus far in this collegiate pre-season event.

"We all know La Salle is a powerhouse team with a champion coach in Aldin Ayo, an MVP in Ben Mbala and a very deep team," said Robinson. "What we can do is try to compete with them from start to finish and see what happens."

After falling to Jose Rizal, 81-85, in the opener on May 1, La Salle won its next two games including a fight-marred 109-81 waylaying of Santo Tomas last Sunday.

For NU mentor Jamike Jarin, their duel with Adamson should be a defining moment for his team.

"Adamson is playing really well and if our game against them will reveal where we are right now in our preparation," said Jarin.

In other matches, Perpetual Help (0-1) takes on Letran (0-3) at 11:15 a.m. and State U debuts against Mapua (0-3) at 1:30 p.m