Stags tries to put chains on Blazers; Generals aims to shoot down Cardinals for 2nd win

Defending champion San Sebastian hopes to ride the crest of the sustained MVP-like performance of Calvin Abueva as it shoots for the solo lead against an unpredictable St. Benilde side today in the 86th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

Taking over from where last year’s leader Jimbo Aquino left off, the energetic, seemingly unstoppable Abueva churned out monster numbers of 16 points, 15 rebounds, four steals, two assists and the intangibles his relentless hustling brought as the Stags overpowered the Jose Rizal Bombers, 72-59, Friday.

Abueva’s effort propelled the Mendiola-based dribblers to their fifth win in row and into a share of the lead with bitter rival San Beda and another win over the Blazers, still struggling to find its true character with a 1-2 (win-loss) record, would catapult the former to the top.

“He’s really like that, always playing with a lot of energy and we hope to feed again on his energy,” said San Sebastian coach Ato Agustin referring to Abueva.

Truly, Abueva is living up to the monicker bestowed upon him by friends and foes—The Beast—as he leads everybody in the race to the most coveted individual plum in the league, the Most Valuable Player trophy.

In just five games, Abueva is tops in scoring and rebounding with averages of 16.2 points and 11.4 rebounds. No. 2 in steals with a 1.8 per-game norm and No. 10 in blocks with a swat an outing that made up for his sometimes erratic game with 3.2 turnovers a game, tied for seventh with Jose Rizal’s Joe Etame of Cameroon.

Against a struggling St. Benilde, which has dropped two straight games including a 71-76 setback to Emilio Aguinaldo Wednesday after opening their campaign with a rousing win over Arellano U last month, Abueva is expected to come up big anew.

Meanwhile, the Generals aim to ride the crest of their recent triumph over the Blazers—their first after dropping their first three assignments—as they take on the dangerous Mapua Cardinals in the main game at 4 p.m.

“We’re hoping to draw inspiration from our first win and hopefully play with the same energy and focus against Mapua,” said EAC coach Nomar Isla, who also brushed aside rumors he would be replaced after their surprisingly bad start.

Beating Mapua is easier said than done since the Muralla-based school is also coming off a huge win—an emphatic 66-51 victory—over a skidding, injury-plagued Letran side Friday that kept its stranglehold of the fourth spot.

In that win, Mark Acosta shone the brightest by pouring in 20 points that should make him a mark man going into the EAC duel.

“It would be hard playing a team that is coming from a win, we just have to play as hard, if not harder, as we did when we beat Letran,” said Mapua coach Chito Victolero, one of the six former pros coaching in the oldest and one of the most prestigious collegiate leagues in the country.