Stags, Heavy Bombers in a slugfest for the last Finals ticket

San Sebastian hopes to book a return finals stint since copping the title last year while Jose Rizal shoots for a first finals trip since making it that far two seasons back as the two clash today in the last playoff duel of the stepladder phase in the 86th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Stags, who wound up with a 13-3 (win-loss) slate and the No. 2 seed after the double-round elimination, brace for a grueling, highly physical duel with the Heavy Bombers, the No. 3 seed following a 12-4 record.

While San Sebastian comfortably waited in the wings, Jose Rizal had to work harder and needed to survive a feisty challenge put up by No. 4 Mapua (9-7) with a nail-biting 60-54 victory Wednesday to set up this 2 p.m. showdown staking the second and last berth in the finale.

There, the winner would challenge San Beda’s serious title bid in a best-of-five series where the Lions would enjoy a 1-0 edge for completing a historic 16-game sweep—the first since San Sebastian accomplished it 13 seasons ago.

“We’re a little bit rested while they have to scrape their way to victory. But it wouldn’t matter in this kind of atmosphere where the stakes are high,” said San Sebastian coach Ato Agustin, who is hoping to cap his final stop as the school’s coach with another crown.

Cameroonian Joe Etame is expected to be the focal point of Jose Rizal’s attack following his career high 17-point performance including 10 in the fourth quarter when the Bombers put in the finishing touches to zap the last fight out of the Cardinals.

The 6-7 Etame, one of the two Africans playing for the Bombers with the other one being John Njei, got help from fifth year player Marvin Hayes, who pumped in six of his eight points in crucial stretches of Jose Rizal’s recent win.

And Jose Rizal is hoping to draw another sterling effort from Etame.

“I hope he comes up with a game like that again against San Sebastian, we would dearly need it,” said Jose Rizal mentor Vergel Meneses, who’ve already duplicated the feat of San Beda’s Frankie Lim and San Sebastian’s Ato Agustin for advancing as far as the playoff on their rookie season as a coach.

San Sebastian is expected to rely anew on MVP derby leader Calvin Abueva as Ronald Pascual, the team’s second-leading scorer, could be a doubtful starter again after missing four straight games due to a recurring sickness.