De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Jose Rizal University, the teams involved in a brawl just two days ago, will return to action on Friday when they take on separate foes in NCAA Season 98.
Benilde will clash against struggling University of Perpetual Help System DALTA at 12 p.m., which will then be followed by the collision between Jose Rizal University and San Sebastian College-Recoletos at 3 p.m. at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Both the Blazers and Heavy Bombers will field undermanned lineups.
Benilde will be without Mark Sangco and Chris Flores, who were given two-game suspensions, as well as Ladis Lepalam, who is suspended for one game following their game against JRU last Tuesday which was marred by John Amores' charging the Benilde bench.
Benilde will tackle Perpetual who is riding a tough three-game losing streak that saw the Altas fall to Mapua University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Emilio Aguinaldo College to go 5-9 in the team standings.
JRU, on the other hand, will be missing a total of 11 players as Joshua Guiab, Jason Celis, Marwin Dionisio, Jan Marc Abaoag, Jonathan Medina, Karl De Jesus, CJ Gonzales, and Jason Tan were slapped with a one-game suspension each.
Ryan Arenal was suspended for two games while William Sy for three. These are on top of the indefinite suspension handed by the league to Amores, whom the school said will no longer play for the remainder of the season.
This leaves JRU with at least six players bannered by team captain Ry Dela Rosa and other key players in Agem Miranda and JL Delos Santos alongside Pauloh Villarin, Janwell Famaranco, and Mark Joson.
With a depleted roster, JRU will look to pull off an improbable task against the Stags, who are out to bounce back from a 82-79 overtime loss to old rival San Beda University last Sunday.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
