The Mapua Cardinals. Handout/NCAA Philippines

MANILA -- A surging Mapua squad takes on the Lyceum Pirates on Tuesday in the NCAA Season 100 tournament, with an eye towards a share of the top spot in the league standings.

Already the winners of three straight games, the Cardinals can tie the College of St. Benilde Blazers at the No. 1 spot with another win against Lyceum.

Game time is at 2:30 p.m.

The Cardinals, last season's runners-up, dropped their first game of the tournament against the Blazers but have since won their next assignments -- including an emphatic 77-62 rout of Colegio de San Juan de Letran last Friday.

Reigning MVP Clint Escamis is set to lead the way once again for Mapua though rookie big man Chris Hubilla has also been playing well for the Cardinals. Against the Knights, he came off the bench to deliver 18 points and 12 rebounds.

The Pirates will bring a 2-2 win-loss record to the game.

Also eyeing to bolster their campaign are University of the Perpetual Help and San Sebastian College in their 11:00 a.m. showdown.

The Altas hurdled the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 73-67, Saturday that catapulted the former in a three-team logjam at No. 3 with Letran and San Beda on 3-2 cards.

The Stags, in contrast, have fallen into the ravine after dropping the last three assignments including an 87-73 setback at the hands of the Arellano U Chiefs on Sunday.

SSC-R fell from a share of the lead to joint seventh with EAC with 2-3 marks.