NCAA 95: Letran eyes third straight win
Credit to Author: Tempo Online| Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2019 23:00:30 +0000
by Waylon Galvez
Games Today (The Arena, San Juan)
8 a.m. – Perpetual Help vs Letran (Jrs)
10 a.m. – Lyceum vs Mapua (Jrs)
12 n.n. – Perpetual Help vs Letran (Srs)
2 p.m. – Lyceum vs Mapua (Srs)
4 p.m. – JRU vs Arellano (Srs)
6 p.m. – JRU vs Arellano (Jrs)
Letran hopes to be extra careful this time as it shoots for its third straight win against the dangerous University of Perpetual Help side in the NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.
Though the Knights had managed to bounce back from an 84-80 defeat to their Intramuros neighbor – the Lyceum Pirates – in the opener by winning their next two games, coach Bonnie Tan was hardly excited.
Tan raised the issue of too many turnovers that saw them average 22 errors a game in their first three games.
So Tan wants to see his wards play with the discipline and ferocity of a champion team in their next games, including today’s 12 noon encounter with the Altas.
In other matches, Lyceum meets Mapua at 2 p.m., before winless teams Jose Rizal University and host school Arellano University clash at 4 p.m.
Letran, a semifinalist the previous season, is fresh from a 55-43 win opposite Jose Rizal University last Tuesday for their second straight victory for a 2-1 win-loss record.
Tan said they can’t afford to commit too many mistakes against a team raring to rebound from a 75-63 loss to College of St. Benilde also last Tuesday.
“Just like what I’ve said, we struggle with our errors,” said Tan. “Now against Perpetual, we know they are coming off a loss and they want get back on track, so we have to really take care of the ball.”
“We just have to sustain our energy. The boys are playing well on defense, and it will be another test for us against Perpetual,” added Tan, who is in his first season with Letran.
The Pirates are likewise eager to get on the winning track following an 84-82 defeat to the Generals of Emilio Aguinado College last week.
One thing going for Lyceum in its encounter with winless Mapua is the return of injured Cameroonian center Mike Nzuesseu, the 6-foot-7 center who broke his index finger in the off-season.