Games today:

(Filoil EcoOil Centre)

11 a.m. — Arellano vs Letran

2:30 p.m. — Saint Benilde vs Mapua

Jose Rizal University (JRU) caught the last bus headed for the playoffs as they booked an 80-76 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College in the play-in phase of Season 101 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Justin Lozano delivered a solid performance down the stretch, dropping 15 points to lead the Heavy Bombers to the crucial victory that sent them to a quarterfinal battle with Group A leader University of Perpetual Help System Dalta on Thursday.

Earlier, Lyceum of the Philippines University secured one of the last two tickets for the quarterfinals after posting a 70-63 win over San Sebastian University in the first game of the do-or-die doubleheader.

Ato Barba fired 22 points to lead the Pirates, who will set up a quarterfinal clash with San Beda University also on Thursday.

“I have been thinking about this game since last night. I had to give my one hundred percent because I don’t want this to be my last game,” Barba, who wants to finish his final year at Lyceum with a title, said.

Jonathan Daileg and JM Versoza also scored 14 points each in the win for Lyceum, which is looking to make a finals return since CJ Perez bannered them in 2018.

Although the Heavy Bombers need to beat the Altas twice to advance to the semifinals, assistant coach Juan Miguel Martin believes that with the kind of composure and maturity they showed when the game was on the line, anything is possible.