Potential postseason preview as Lyceum-CSB tangle

c/o GMA and NCAA

Games Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre

1:30 p.m.- CSB vs Lyceum

3:30 p.m.- San Beda vs Perpetual

Lyceum of the Philippines University hopes to rejoin Mapua atop the NCAA Season 99 Men's Basketball tournament, as they face off against the hottest team in the league in the College of Saint Benilde at 130pm at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Blazers are on a five-game winning run, highlighted by a great 84-81 escape against Jose Rizal University this past Tuesday, but the Pirates are no slouch, having won four straight themselves, including a huge 85-79 victory over current league leaders Mapua.

A win for either side is crucial, with the twice-to-beat advantage afforded to the top two teams, as second-place Lyceum is a game ahead of the third-place CSB. A triumph for the former would allow them to rejoin the Cardinals atop the league, but a victory for the latter means both teams will share of second place and the Cardinals' gap increases to a game-and-a-half.

Incumbent Most Valuable Player Will Gozum showed why he earned that award against the Heavy Bombers, dropping 27 points while also helping preserve the win with a potential game-tying rejection against Marwin Dionisio.

CSB head coach Charles Tiu highlights his importance to the Blazers, shares "He’s the league MVP, we will go wherever he takes us."

The other game of the doubleheader features San Beda and the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, which tips off at 330pm.

The Red Lions are currently in fourth place and the last postseason ticket at 8-4, with a victory here solidifying their postseason chances and even potentially target a top-two spot.

At 6-7, the Altas need every win they can get to move themselves back into .500 and ever closer to a postseason berth, with a victory also dragging down the San Beda back closer to the chasing teams like idle schools Emilio Aguinaldo College and Jose Rizal University.

Head coach Myk Saguiguit shares that he's lookin at his talented swingman Cyrus Nitura as someone who could potentially give Jacob Cortez fits. He shares, "Ngayon pa lang nakikita ko na sa mukha nito si Cortez."

Nitura is coming off a near-triple-double performance against Arellano, with thirteen points, ten rebounds, and seven assists, while also pulling off five steals in an 84-77 win over the Chiefs this past Tuesday.