ALTHOUGH only in his first season calling the shots for College of St. Benilde, coach Charles Tiu has learned to respect to his charges’ foes even if his team has won its last four and will be ranged against winless Jose Rizal University.
“I don’t see them (Heavy Bombers) as a winless team. They have had games they probably deserved to win or should have won,” Tiu said. “They are a tough physical team with talented players and very well coached.”
The Blazers seek to stretch their win run to five when they square off with the Heavy Bombers today in the 97th NCAA basketball tournament at the La Salle Green Hills Gym in Mandaluyong.
The lone match is set at 3 p.m.
Defending champion Letran and San Beda University were supposed to clash in the first game of a doubleheader, but the league last week moved the rematch of the last cage wars’ finals battle to April 29.
CSB will go into the game armed with an 83-73 victory over Perpetual Help last Saturday that stoked its record to 4-1 for solo third.
Robi Nayve, Will Gozum, AJ Benson, and Miggy Corteza are expected to lead the Blazers’ attack.
Tiu insisted CSB could not fall into a sense of complacency.
“We just take it one game at a time without looking at the standings,” he said.
“We just do our best every game and hopefully the results will follow.”
JRU has lost all its five outings, counting a 65-80 setback at the hands of Emilio Aguinaldo College also last Saturday.
The Louie Gonzalez-mentored Bombers will pin their hopes on Jason Celis, John Delos Santos, and Marwin Dionisio.
