Centro Escolar University and BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare face off in another semifinal duel in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The Scorpions and the Saints, unbeaten through seven games, look to draw first blood in their bids to inch closer toward a trip to the finals in the opening game of their best-of-three series set at 1:30 p.m.
Marinerong Pilipino, meanwhile, is favored to top Technological Institute of the Philippines in the other semis set at 3:30 p.m. The Skippers likewise enter the series having won all seven matches.
It will be the second straight conference that CEU and St. Clare meet in the semifinals, with the Scorpions emerging victorious over the Saints in the series that went the full route.
Since then, six St. Clare players led by Mohammad Pare, Joshua Fontanilla, Junjie Hallare and Irven Palencia joined forces with veterans Chris Dumapig, Jhaps Bautista, Jesse Collado and recently Hesed Gabo and Alfred Batino to form a team coach Stevenson Tiu hopes is enough to beat CEU.
CEU coach Derrick Pumaren, however, is banking on Senegalese center Maodo Malick Diouf and Rich Guinitaran in their bid to overcome Sumisip-St. Clare’s challenge.
In the other semis series, ex-pro Eloy Poligrates is expected to lead Marinerong Pilipino’s talent-laden squad against the underdog Engineers.
TIP, which once forged a tie-up with Marinero due to the lack of players available, will try to produce an upset behind Papa Ndiaye, Bryan Santos and new additions Jun Bonsubre and Sandy Cenal. (Jonas Terrado)
