ARELLANO University and Emilio Aguinaldo College will clash for the twice-to-beat incentive in Group B of the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Monday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Both teams enter the game tied at 6-6, as the winner will claim second place in Group B and secure the twice-to-beat advantage heading into the quarterfinals.
The Arellano Chiefs and EAC Generals tip off at 5 p.m., following the Group A matchup between Mapua University and Lyceum of the Philippines University at 3 p.m.
The Generals came off a confidence-boosting win against Group B leader Colegio de San Juan de Letran after a 78-71 victory, while the Chiefs escaped the win-seeking San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 69-6.
In EAC’s win over Letran, Jacob Shanoda led the scoring with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Jude Bagay added 12 points and three rebounds for the victory.
This crucial win for EAC forced a tie in the Group B standings. In the first round, Arellano won over EAC by a slim 90-87 victory, with Basti Valencia’s go-ahead triple and T-mc Ongotan’s floater in the dying seconds of the match.
If Arellano wants to recreate its victory against EAC, Ongotan and King Vinoya should all chip in their forces against the trio of Bagay, Kyle Octavo, and Raymundo.
In Season 101, Arellano made the quarterfinals, while EAC only reached the play-in round and lost to JRU. Before Season 101, the format was just the Final Four. EAC has never reached the top 4 or any playoff stage in their history since joining the NCAA in 2009.
In Group A’s action, Mapua looks to close out the preliminary round with a victory against Lyceum. Mapua, relegated to the play-in round, enjoys a twice-to-beat advantage.
Lyceum and Mapua will face each other once more in the play-in round.
