FilOil Preseason: NU, FEU battle for final quarterfinal berth

Games Sunday

10 a.m. – EAC vs. St. Benilde

12 p.m. – NU vs. FEU

2 p.m. – San Beda vs. LPU

4 p.m. – La Salle vs. UE

MANILA, Philippines — There is only one remaining quarterfinal berth for the UAAP bracket of the FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup.

And National University and Far Eastern University are the two teams still alive for that playoff push.

The red-hot Bulldogs can catch the last bus to the crossover quarterfinals when they play Far Eastern University on Sunday at PlayTime Filoil Centre in San Juan.

Starting the premier preseason league at 0-2, NU has won two of its last three games and credit that to the improved defensive intensity buoyed by the likes of Steve Nash Enriquez and Jolo Manansala.

"Kahit papaano, kahit konti, maganda na yung nagiging takbo ng team namin at unti-unti, nababalik na namin yung gusto naming makita sa team," said coach Jeff Napa after his team's 61-46 victory over Adamson last Friday.

And the Bulldogs may be peaking at the right time — a dangerous prospect for the Tamaraws which have lost two of their last three games after their own 2-0 opener.

Coach Sean Chambers is hopeful that his team can shake off the stigma from their debilitating 90-66 blowout loss to La Salle last Friday while banking on Jorick Bautista and Mo Konateh to fare better this time out.

Game time is at 12 p.m. in this penultimate gameday of the eliminations in this tilt which has PlayTime Cares, Filoil, EcoOil, Hanes, Bostik El Heneral, Jiang Nan Hotpot, Lamtex Pipes, Smart, and Puso Pilipinas as major sponsors, and Harbor Star, Wallem, Akari, BDO, Tela.com Athletics, Nature’s Spring, Reyes Barbecue, and Brothers Burger as minor sponsors.

St. Benilde (6-1) and Emilio Aguinaldo College (6-2) face off at 10 a.m. with the winner locking up a top two spot in the NCAA Bracket.

The Blazers are coming off a statement 102-64 rout of San Beda last Wednesday with Tony Ynot and Ian Torres leading the charge.

But the Generals want redemption especially after falling to the Red Lions, 70-66, last Friday as they seek to prove that they are indeed for real this upcoming NCAA Season 101.

Undefeated La Salle (4-0) is also gunning to lock up a top two spot in the UAAP Bracket when it takes on winless University of the East (0-5) at 4 p.m., while also-ran teams San Beda (3-4) and LPU (1-6) cross paths at 2 p.m. to cap off the quadruple-header.

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