Altas look to keep flickering playoff hopes alive
LEFT with little leeway now in Season 93 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Perpetual Help Altas look to go on a last-ditch effort to salvage what has been a difficult campaign for them as they take on the defending champions San Beda Red Lions today.
Happening at 2 p. m. at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City, the Altas ( 4- 9), currently at eighth place and outside of the playoff picture, try to begin stringing up a win streak in their remaining assignments that could put them in a position to latch on to one of the Final Four spots via the backdoor.
Despite a stellar campaign from Nigerian big man Prince Eze (17 ppg, 18.4 rpg and 2.4 bpg), Perpetual Help has not been able to translate it to much success, hardly establishing any consistency in winning.
They come in to today’s game having lost three straight, the last one at the hands of the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers, 85-52.
Eze had another monster game of 23 points and 23 rebounds but apart from him nobody from Perpetual Help finished in double digits in points, making it tough to keep in step with the Bombers who took command right from the get-go.
“All our remaining games are a must-win for us,” said newly promoted Perpetual Help coach Jimwell Gican of the mind- set they have moving forward.
Mr. Gican, erstwhile deputy, was elevated to head coach after the Altas decided to part ways with former player and coach Nosa Omorogbe.
While they remain “hopeful” of making a late sprint to turn things around for them in the ongoing season of the country’s longest- standing collegiate league, the Altas face a very tough obstacle at the onset in the Lions, who are on a rampage and out to finish the elimination round on a high and use it as a springboard to make another solid defense of their title.
Mendiola-based San Beda has won 12 straight games since being tripped early in the season, second-best behind the still-undefeated Lyceum Pirates (15-0), and as packed as it gets.
The most recent of the Lions’ victories was at the expense of the Arellano Chiefs, 83-72, on Sept. 28.
It was another collective effort for San Beda in the win with six players scoring seven points or more led by Javee Mocon and Jeramer Cabanag with 14 points each and Robert Bolick and Donald Tankoua chipping in 13 and 11 points, respectively.
“For us, it’s all about taking good care of ourselves. We cannot pray for other teams to lose and other teams to win theirs. We have to take care of our business and win our games,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez on how they are approaching their affairs.
Following the San Beda-Perpetual Help clash is JRU ( 8- 6) versus College St. Benilde Blazers (3-11) at 4 p.m.
The Heavy Bombers eye to fortify their hold of solo third spot while the Blazers, already out of the running for the playoffs, try to sharpen things for the remainder of the season and have something to build on.
Meanwhile, Lyceum’s do-it-all player CJ Perez was once again named player of the week by the NCAA press corps.
Averaging 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals, Perez helped Lyceum to two more victories the past week to push them nearer to a possible sweep of the elimination round. —