HOPE Christian High School guns for two successive championship in the FCBL-Freego Cup today against Far Eastern U at the Buddhacare Gym in Quezon City.
The one-game face-off is set at 4 p.m. with Hope Christian determined to keep the crown to make up for its stinging defeat to Chiang Kai Shek College in the finals of the Metro Manila Tiong Lian Championship two months ago.
The top-seeded Hope advanced to the final by outlasting Mapua in their knockout match, 76-66, last Thursday through another inspired play by Clint Doliguez.
Doliguez scored all but two of his 16 points in the first half to help Hope post a 44-28 lead at halftime which they wisely protected to cruise into the finals of the event also sponsored by Smart for the second straight time.
Mapua, which finished the eliminations at No. 4, forced a playoff with the twice-to-beat Hope Christian by scoring a 72-68 win last Tuesday.
The Baby Tamaraws clinched the first finals berth by downing No. 3 seed CKSC, also Thursday.