JRU eyes second victory, faces dangerous Batangas

Jose Rizal shoots for a second straight victory when it battles Batangas, while Victoria Sports and Wangs Basketball make their debut in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The Heavy Bombers rolled past guest team Blustar Detergent, 75-64, to open their campaign. But they face a tougher test against a Batangas team that pushed favorite AMA Online to the limit before yielding, 101-95, last Thursday.

JRU coach Vergel Meneses hopes his charges will get off to a better start this time after struggling to get their offense going against Blustar.

“The players I have now will be the ones who are going to lead us in the NCAA so it’s time for them to take a bigger responsibility,” Meneses said.

Batangas coach Eric Gonzales expects an improved performance from his squad led by Dan Sara and Joseph Sedifura.

“I’m happy that we’re building a team that doesn’t give up,” said Gonzales. “The players are really improving.”