Games today:

(FilOil EcoOil Centre)

11 a.m. – Lyceum vs Arellano

2:30 p.m. – San Beda vs EAC

San Beda University shoots for a share of the Group B summit when it takes on Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Tuesday in Season 101 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The Red Lions march to battle at 2:30 p.m. as they look to bounce back from their heartbreaking 66-67 defeat against Jose Rizal University (JRU) last Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

San Beda looked poised to win its third straight game when Allan Laurenaria converted a go-ahead layup for JRU with four seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Sadly, Bryan Sajonia failed to convert a fadeaway jumper in the dying seconds as the Lions lost their first game in Season 101 after back-to-back wins over College of Saint Benilde, 96-85, and arch rival Letran College, 68-58.

Facing EAC next, San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta told DAILY TRIBUNE they are bracing for another tough match.

Last year saw the Generals pull off a 68-55 win over the Lions, their first since joining the oldest collegiate league in the country in 2009.

“We’re preparing for another high energy and intense game. We need to have good focus and be intense,” said Escueta, who serves as an assistant coach for TNT in the Philippine Basketball Association.

The first game will have Lyceum of the Philippines University and Arellano University duke it out at 12 p.m. to open the day’s exciting double header.

The Pirates are still searching for their first win after losing their first three assignments while the Chiefs want to bounce back from their 67-72 loss to University of Perpetual Help System Dalta last Saturday.

Yet all eyes will be on San Beda.

Sajonia will be leaned upon anew after scoring 16 points against the Heavy Bombers while Janti Miller and Bismark Lina had 13 points in the Lions’ loss.

EAC tactician Jerson Cabiltes said they need to control the rebounds if they want to upset the Red Lions.

“We lost against Letran in the rebounding because we're smaller. We're smaller than San Beda so we need to put in more effort in that department and we need to make good decisions,” Cabiltes said after suffering an 80-84 loss to Letran last Friday.