De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde is expecting nothing less than a dogfight when it takes on upset-seeking University of Perpetual Help System DALTA on Wednesday in the NCAA Season 100.
The Blazers (11-2) lock horns against the desperate ALTAs (6-8) at 2:30 p.m. while Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Emilio Aguinaldo College try to improve their respective Final Four hopes in their 11 a.m. clash at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Benilde has been unstoppable in its past five games, where the Taft crew dominated JRU twice as well as San Sebastian, Arellano University, and EAC to go 11-2 in the ladder with a number of heroes rising for head coach Charles Tiu.
But they remain wary of the ALTAs, who will be eager to pump life into its own semifinals chances and avenge their 78-51 loss to the Blazers during their first round meeting.
"I’m sure like EAC, they will try to bounce back. We will also prepare better. They had a nice game last time against LPU. Again, they’re also desperate for the Final Four, they really need this game," Tiu said.
"They’re physical, they’re disciplined offensively and defensively as expected from Coach Olsen [Racela]. We have a day to prepare so we have to give these guys some rest, Hopefully it’s enough to prepare against Perpetual."
But eyes will also be on the first game, where Letran and EAC both go for a crucial victory with the two teams hanging in the balance.
The Knights and the Generals are both coming off losses with the wards of head coach Allen Ricardo dropping a 90-86 loss to JRU while the latter fell to the Blazers in a tight affair.
A win by Letran will solidify its hold of the fourth spot, but a win by EAC will send the Generals to solo fourth instead.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
