WATCH
Games Saturday
(La Salle Green Hills Gym)
12 noon – San Beda vs Mapua
3 p.m. – Letran vs JRU
Undefeated teams Colegio de San Juan de Letran and San Beda University will look to book the first Final Four spots when they collide against separate foes on Saturday in the NCAA Season 97.
Both perfect through six games, the defending champions Knights will take on Jose Rizal University at 3 p.m. while jumpstarting the double-header are the Red Lions against Mapua University at 12 p.m.
A win by Letran and San Beda will automatically seal their spots in the playoffs.
Letran, though, will have to brace for a dogfight against a hungry JRU side who has only one win in the season so far. Tipped to lead the Knights are usual gunners in Rhenz Abando, Jeo Ambohot, and Fran Yu.
Letran head coach Bonnie Tan said against JRU, they have to start strong and finish stronger, taking into consideration their last two games against Lyceum and EAC where they nearly lost.
"Same thing with LPU and EAC, ayaw na namin mangyari 'yung last game against LPU na kami yung nagca-catchup," Tan said. "Kailangan lang i-remind 'yung mga players na para malaro namin 'yung A-game namin or 'yung gusto naming magawa, kailangan we have to start strong lalo na sa first quarter."
San Beda, on the other hand, will be against the Cardinals who have been firing on all cylinders in their last two games against Perpetual and CSB. Mapua is currently leading the tournament in three-point shots made with a 32.7-percent success rate.
And San Beda tactician Boyet Fernandez stressed they won't treat the game as a walk in the park.
"Sa totoo lang, isa sa mga strong teams para sa'kin itong Mapua. I'm surprised (Brian) Lacap has been playing well, (Rence) Nocum has been playing well, and they've been shooting well in the three-point area, parang homecourt nila 'to eh," Fernandez said.
"We'll study the tapes and we'll prepare for them and we'll see what we can do against Mapua."
—JMB, GMA News
