COLLEGE of St. Benilde and De La Salle University face different opponents as action continues in Season 3 of the Next Man cUP Pinoyliga tournament this weekend at the Enderun Colleges gym in Taguig City.
The two Taft-based teams try to keep their record clean as the 4-0 Blazers face Enderun Colleges at 4 p.m., right after University of the Philippines clashes against Lyceum of the Philippines University at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
On Sunday (March 9), the Green Archers tackle New Era University at 2 p.m., followed by the 4 p.m. encounter between Ateneo and San Sebastian College-Recoletos.
St. Benilde is coming off two impressive wins last week, beating fellow NCAA team Lyceum of the Philippines University, 80-64, last Saturday and followed it up with an 88-69 victory over Guang Ming College last Sunday.
In the two wins, Jio Gonzaga put up solid numbers, torching LPU with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, then had 12 with four boards and five dimes against Guang Ming.
As for La Salle, it opened its campaign with an 82-67 win against UAAP archrival Ateneo last Sunday.
Mason Amos led the Green Archers with 18 points, Jacob Cortez added 16, Lionel Matthew Rubico had 12, and Luis Pablo came through with six and eight rebounds.
The Fighting Maroons, on the other hand, try to end a two-game skid and win their first match in the tournament. UP dropped its first game to CSB, 87-52, last Feb. 15, and fell to Guang Ming, 72-64, last Feb. 23.
One thing going for UP is the addition of 6-foot-2 two-way player James Payosing, who is expected to suit up a day after transferring to the Fighting Maroons from the San Beda Red Lions, where he played the previous two seasons including Season 99 when the team won the NCAA title.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
