Former Red Lions Tony Ynot, Gab Cometa, and Justine Sanchez, now leading the show for the Blazers, will face their old team as De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and San Beda University are set for an early collision on Tuesday in the NCAA Season 100.
Dubbed as two of the strongest teams this season, the Red Lions and the Blazers will lock horns at 2:30 p.m. at the FilOil EcoOil Centre with the winner getting an early lead in the standings.
Both San Beda and Benilde took care of their opening games and are hoping to build on those momentum when they meet.
San Beda cruised to a convincing 79-63 win over host Lyceum of the Philippines University last Saturday with star transferee Bryan Sajonia impressing in his debut. The former FEU standout dropped 18 points in only 16 minutes of action while also grabbing five rebounds, two assists, and one block.
Meanwhile, newcomers also stole the spotlight for Benilde in its 78-65 stunner over Mapua University on the same day. The gritty victory saw former EAC big man Allen Liwag pouring a monster double-double of 23 points and 18 rebounds while Cometa and Ynot supplied the help with 17 and nine markers apiece.
Benilde head coach Charles Tiu admitted that having to face Mapua and San Beda in this early part of the season is tough, especially amid their bid to finally go all the way to the title.
"They gave us a really tough schedule, two of the teams in the finals kaagad ang sinubo sa amin and they looked really good today. They’re playing excellent basketball," Tiu said of the Red Lions.
Serving as an appetizer, meanwhile, is the encounter between University of Perpetual Help System DALTA and Jose Rizal University, who will both kick off their campaigns at 11 a.m.
The Altas are parading a new coach in Olsen Racela with the likes of Christian Pagaran, John Abis, and rookies Mark Gojo Cruz and Ruvic Danag expected to lead the way for the Las Piñas crew.
Racela, a nine-time PBA champion as a player and a 10-time titlist as deputy, will debut in the NCAA and is hoping to secure the win in his debut game. But the Barangay Ginebra assistant coach said the team has yet to reach its peak, which, for him, is acceptable.
"Okay naman, we're preparing as hard as we can under the circumstances, with the weather and the lineup we have," Racela said.
"We're not yet at our peak right now. But of course, we don't want to be at our peak at the start of the season pero slowly, we're improving."
Testing Racela and the Altas are the Heavy Bombers, who have a new-look squad with veteran Joshua Guiab steering the wheel for coach Louie Gonzalez alongside other holdovers Shawn Argente, Patrick Ramos, and Jonathan Medina.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
