LT2 eyes upset on Tuba as QF wars begin
(Left photo) 1-2 COMBO. Cyril De Vera and John Cedric Pugong of the fourth seed Tuba will have their hands full as they face an upset-seeking fifth seed La Trinidad 2 in the quarterfinals of the Cong. Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup at the Tuba gym in Poblacion on Saturday, November 4. Photo by Jean Nicole Cortes
SCORING LEADER. Tuba is expected to pin their hopes on scoring leader Cyril De Vera when their team faces an upset-seeking fifth seed La Trinidad 2 in the quarterfinals of the Cong. Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup at the Tuba gym in Poblacion on Saturday, November 4. Photo by Jean Nicole Cortes
TUBA, Benguet – The top four seeds hope to end early in the quarterfinals as they battle the four lower seeds carrying a twice-to-beat advantage on the Cong. Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup at the Tuba gym in Poblacion here on Saturday, November 4.
Bokod and La Trinidad 1 hope to finish it outright as the top two seeds battle the last two to join the elite eight when quarterfinal actions start Saturday morning.
It will be the second seed Trinidad 1 which starts the four-game schedule at the Tuba gym in Poblacion here as the toughest team on paper takes on late attendee Kapangan at 9 AM. It will be followed by the tussle of Bokod against the bottom feeder Mankayan.
Mankayan was one of the late additions to the quarterfinals slate as it lost three times, then escaped Kabayan last October 24 to get to the last eight.
But that needed confirmation as Atok was the dark horse when it played Kapangan in the last of the 91-game schedule.
Atok started hotly and was 11 up early in the game. But a searing second half of the host turned things around and cruised to a 91-81 lead. It was game over for Atok, but Kapangan got the seventh spot on a 6-7 win-loss card, while Mankayan took the eighth spot for a 5-9 card. Atok tied Bakun at 4-9.
The first two seeds are expected to cruise past their rivals and if not, then a rubber match is scheduled the next day.
The afternoon will see Itogon taking on sixth seed Buguias (7-6) with the latter hoping to win and arrange the winner-take-all rubber match on Sunday.
And the closest fight will be the last with host Tuba facing off with the fifth seed La Trinidad 2. Both have the firepower to make a run in the event presented by the office of Cong. Eric Go Yap, the ACT-CIS Party List, the office of Gov. Melchor Diclas, the Media for Sports Development as well as Mark Media Solutions.com, and the Dominican Tropa Pares.
The semifinals are slated next November 13 and 14. The top two squads after the eliminations have twice to beat advantages throughout unless an upset occurs and the lower seed steals that privilege, said commissioner Roderick Osis.
Meanwhile, 15 players from the 14 teams are expected to see action in the Benguet All Stars set on November 30 at the Benguet Sports Complex. MSD Release
