Games on Wednesday (The Arena, San Juan)
10 a.m. — CSB vs Perpetual (Jrs)
11:45 a.m. — JRU vs San Sebastian (Jrs)
2 p.m. — CSB vs Perpetual (Srs)
4 p.m. — JRU vs San Sebastian (Srs)

San Sebastian College hopes to bury the memory of a painful defeat last week as it tries to secure the first twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four against the surging Jose Rizal University on Wednesday at the homestretch of the elimination round in the 85th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Stags take on the Heavy Bombers at 4 p.m. with the aim of putting behind a surprise 80-63 loss to Letran that ended their bid for a possible 18-game sweep of the eliminations.

As it is, their win streak ended at 15 straight.

That defeat derailed the Stags’s bid for an outright finals berth.

But SSC coach Ato Agustin remains optimistic.

“Okey lang na natalo kami. It will help us realize that we still have to improve and do more adjustments now that the semifinals is also within reach,” the former PBA hotshot said. “We will bounce back. That’s for sure.”

The result of Wednesday’s match will be crucial for the top three teams – San Sebastian (15-1), defending champion San Beda (15-2) and Jose Rizal (14-2), which are all in the running for the twice-to-beat incentives in the Final Four, which starts October 16.

A San Sebastian defeat will create a three-way logjam at the front.

Though San Sebastian emerged triumphant against JRU in their first meeting this season, 91-76, the Stags need to climb a hill if not a mountain this time to beat the streaking Bombers, who have yet to lose a game in their second round campaign.

The Kalentong-based Bombers are on a seven-game winning roll – which was highlighted by a 77-64 rout of the Red Lions on Sept. 16.

Clashing at 2 p.m. are also-rans teams College of St. Benilde (5-11) and University of Perpetual Help (3-12). Both teams are already out of contention, but are determined to land a respectable finish in the country’s oldest collegiate varsity league.