MANILA—Quezon City and Antipolo try to arrange a best-of-three title showdown when they face separate opponents today in the 2nd Coca-Cola Hoopla National Capital Region Championship at the C.P. Tinga Gym in Taguig.
Enjoying twice-to-beat advantages, Quezon City faces Caloocan at 5 p.m. while Antipolo battles Taguig at 7 p.m.
Rubber matches are scheduled tomorrow, if necessary, with the best-of-three finals starting right after. The top prize of P250,000 awaits the champion.
In a battle of inter-zonal leaders, Quezon City routed Antipolo, 105-89, Sunday at its home turf in Masambong, while Taguig crushed Mandaluyong at the C.P. Tinga Gym, 104-78.
Quezon City topped the inter-zonal with a 4-0 slate while Antipolo and Taguig finished with similar 2-2 cards. Antipolo clinched the No. 2 berth, however, by virtue of its 86-74 win over Taguig earlier.
Caloocan and Mandaluyong wrapped up the semifinals with identical 1-3 cards, but Caloocan claimed the fourth and last playoff slot on the strength of an 80-79 win over the Central zone champion.
Complacent Quezon City started cold and had to be firmly reminded at halftime by its head coach before buckling down to work, opening leads by as many as 24 points, 94-74.
The scores:
QUEZON CITY 105—De Leon 19, Villarosa 16, A bragan 14, Prociuncula 9, Esgtrella 9, Requiz 8, Boquiren 7, Gadian 4, Lazaro 4, Villar 0, Diaz 0.
ANTIPOLO 89—Diaz 27, Repato 25, J. Mocon 8, Bacay 7, Say 6, De Mesa 5, K. Mocon 5, Suganuma 3, Sombrito 1, Baliton 0.
Quarters: 20-20, 45-42, 73-59, 105-89