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.