Pirates try to keep 3rd versus Altas

MANILA, Philippines - Lyceum tries to sustain its win run as it tangles with a skidding Perpetual Help, determined to keep its hold of the third spot even in the 90th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan today.

The Pirates downed the Generals, 73-67, last Friday to roll to their third straight victory and fourth in six outings for the hold of the No. 3 spot they stake against the Altas in their 2 p.m. encounter.

Letran and Emilio Aguinaldo College, meanwhile, clash in a duel of struggling teams at 4 p.m.. The Knights, last year’s runners-up, and the Generals are down at joint eighth with 1-4 slates.

Perpetual Help, looking good with a sweep of its first three games, dropped from joint first to No. 4 following back-to-back setbacks, including a 97-85 defeat to the Arellano U Chiefs over the weekend.

But the Altas are raring to rebound and move back to the third spot and closer to co-leaders San Beda and Arellano, which tote identical 5-1 marks. 

Earl Scottie Thompson, Juneric Baloria and Harold Arboleda, who averaged a combined 56 of their team’s 78-point per-game average, are out to put Perpetual Help back on the winning track again although Lyceum coach Bonnie Tan has vowed to stop the troika to keep the Pirates’ run going.

“We have to find ways to limit them, maybe just one or two of them for us to have a chance of winning,” said Tan, hoping to steer Lyceum to its first Final Four appearance since the school joined the league three years ago.

For Perpetual Help mentor Aric del Rosario, it’s a question of support from the rest of the squad.

“I have challenged the other players to step up because we’re starting to get predictable,” said del Rosario.

Lyceum has also been drawing solid play from Joseph Gabayni, who has normed 11.33 points, 10 rebounds and a league-high 1.83 blocks in their first six games.

“He’s been playing inspired basketball and I hope he will continue with his strong play,” said Tan of Gabayni, a transferee from UST.