Hapee, Cagayan face lowly foes today

UNBEATEN Hapee plunges back into action as the heavy favorite while Cagayan Valley also tries to preserve its perfect run minus its head coach at the resumption of the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup today.

The Fresh Fighters, virtually assured of an outright semifinal berth, go for a ninth straight victory versus newcomer Racal Motors at 2 p.m. even as the Rising Suns aim for an 8-0 card against AMA University at 12 noon at
JCSGO Gym in Cubao.

Jumbo Plastic, toting a 5-3 slate, hopes to stay in the top four against Tanduay Light in the last of a three-game bill at 4 p.m.

The Rising Suns will again have to do without coach Alvin Pua, who will serve the second of his three-game suspension.

Pua was also fined P50,000 by PBA commissioner Chito Salud for physically assaulting a referee in a recent game.

Cagayan assistant coach Nonoy Bonleon expects the Rising Suns to have regrouped following their dismal outing versus Racal Alibaba right before the two-week holiday break.

The Rising Suns nearly blew a 21-point lead before thwarting Alibaba, 95-86, in overtime.

“We got overconfident,” said Bonleon, adding that the match turned out to be a good challenge for the Cagayan crew bannered by top rookie pick Moala Tautuaa and Filipino-American guard Abel Galliguez.

The Fresh Fighters, though, had cruised past their opponents behind Ray Parks.

Hapee coach Ronnie Magsanoc credited Parks, a two-time UAAP MVP, for doing “another good job on both ends” in the Fresh Fighters’ 84-63 walloping of MP Hotel two weeks ago.