Games Today (Batangas City Coliseum)
7 p.m. – Zamboanga vs Muntinlupa
9 p.m. – Batangas vs Imus
Four more teams from the southern division will start their own quarterfinals series in the MPBL as No. 2 seed and host Batangas City takes on No. 7 Imus while third-ranked Muntinlupa battles sixth seed Zamboanga Tuesday at the Batangas City Coliseum.
The Tanduay-backed Athletics square off with the GLC Truck and Equipment-supported Bandera in the main game at 9 p.m. right after the match between the Angelis Resort-sponsored Cagers against the Zamboanga-Family’s Brand Sardines at 7 p.m.
Top seed Davao Occidental and No.5 Bacoor had already advanced to the Final Four of the south division after sweeping their rivals just recently. Two more teams are hoping to join them and the Athletics, last season’s inaugural staging champion, begin their quest for title retention bid in the post season.
Jeff Viernes has taken over the reins as the Athletics’ new floor leader and under his guidance, Batangas City is back on the thick of things in the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.
Acquired by the Athletics when the season started, Viernes immediately made his presence felt by becoming the team’s top gun. He will continue to keep a hold of the squad that lost personnel who joined the PBA this season, but has enough talent left, among them include Val Acuña, Lester Alvarez, Jhaymo Eguilos, Denice Villamor, and Adie Santos among others.
Batangas City will be battling an Imus team that was previously anchored on Ian Melencio but has now become a more defensive-minded squad under the tutelage of Noy Falcasantos.
Muntinlupa and Zamboanga will also be an interesting battle as Zamboanga’s Reed Juntilla and Robin Roño go against Alan Mangahas and Ryusei Koga.
