Lions raring to rebound vs Cardinals

MANILA, Philippines – Defending champion San Beda tries to rebound from a stinging defeat to La Salle as it tangles with an Allwell Oraeme-led Mapua even as reigning NCAA titlist Letran clashes with Ateneo today in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup at The Arena in San Juan.

The Lions dominated Ben Mbala and the Archers majority of the way but cracked in the fourth quarter, enabling the Taft-based squad to fashion out a 94-85 victory to remain the lone unbeaten team in the pre-season league with four victories.

But San Beda, which swept its first two games, is out to recover lost ground when it collides with Mapua at 3:15 p.m.

“We have to show consistency on both ends of the floor. But against La Salle, our defense just collapsed late,” said San Beda coach Jamike Jarin. 

But the Cardinals will be coming into the match in high spirits despite coming off an 81-85 defeat to the Adamson Soaring Falcons last weekend as Oraeme, the NCAA MVP, suits up after serving a one-game suspension, hoping to help steer Mapua, on the brink with a 1-3 card, to the crucial win.

The Knights, meanwhile, are back on track, rallying from 20 points down to beat the University of the East Warriors, 105-99, and stay in the quarters’ hunt with a 2-2 mark.

But they will be facing an equally fired-up Ateneo side, which split its first two games but will parade the talented CH Perez, a high-scoring guard who played for the San Sebastian Stags in the NCAA before transferring to the Loyola-based school.

The match is set at 5 p.m.

In the other seniors’ game at 1:30 p.m., Emilio Aguinaldo College hopes to score a follow-up to its 68-59 triumph over University of the Philippines as it squares off with St. Benilde, winless in four starts.