Bright Akhuetie of Mighty Sports.
MIGHTY Sports tries to pounce on an undermanned Euro-Med five today as it guns for a finals berth in the PCBL Chairman’s Cup at Marikina Sports Center.
A victory in the 5 p.m. clash will complete a sweep of the best-of-three series for Mighty Sports, which will be facing a Euro-Med team without import Ola Adeogun and coach Yong Garcia.
Adeogun and Garcia have been slapped with one-game bans for unsportsmanlike conduct in the 84-99 loss to Mighty in Game 1 last Saturday at Malolos Convention Center.
Garcia was ejected in the second period for continuous complaining and for using profane language against a game official, while Adeogun was slapped a technical foul, his second offense, and for disrespecting an official.
Jumbo Plastic also aims to punch its ticket to the finals as it faces Sta. Lucia at 7 p.m. in Game 2 of their series.
The Linoleum Giants outlasted the Realtors, 94-89, in Game 1 with import Mustafa Arafat sparkling in overtime to push Jumbo closer to a second consecutive finals appearance.
But the Realtors can take plenty of encouragement from their Game 1 form, where they rallied from big deficits and looked in prime position to pull off an upset when they led late in the match.
Import Landry Sanjo, Kent Salado, Nico Bangga and Paolo Javelona are expected to lead the charge for Sta. Lucia, which is hoping to oust the same team that beat the Realtors in the same stage of the Founder’s Cup last year.
Without Adeogun, Euro-Med will have its hands full battling Mighty’s Nigerian reinforcement Bright Akhuetie, who shone along with Allan Mangahas, Gab Banal and Kevin Ferrer in Game 1.
Meanwhile, PCBL commissioner Joel Banal said the league is investigating the incident involving Adeogun and Ferrer, who was left with a bloodied nose when the import hit him at the end of Game 1.
Claiming Ferrer cursed him, Adeogun elbowed the former UST star in an ugly end to the highly physical encounter.