Bakers seek tie for lead versus Rising Suns today

CAFÉ France, a winner by forfeiture in its debut, hopes to nail a victory on the playing court of the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup when it tangles with Cagayan Valley today at Arellano University gym in Manila.

The Bakers tackle the Rising Suns at 4 p.m. in a bid to forge a three-way tie for the lead after Erase Xfoliant goes for a back-to-back triumph against newcomer Informatics at 2 o’clock.

“We kept the game close in the first half but we eventually panicked in the long run,” coach Egay Macaraya said after his Bakers dropped their first game against Fruitas, 88-82, over a week ago.

But Café France was declared the winner after several days when the commissioner’s office nullified the results because Fruitas fielded an ineligible player.

“The sudden turnaround gave us a boost,” said Macaraya. “We need it so much against a strong team like Cagayan. Hopefully, we’ve learned our lesson well. That’s the bottom line.”

Big man Mike Parala carried the load for the Bakers in their first game with a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Jens Knuttel and Roger Pogoy combined for 31 points.

But Cagayan also aims to regain its competitive form after a listless outing against the Erasers, who snapped the Rising Suns’ strong 2-0 start with a 91-78 decision last Tuesday.

“The team that won our first two games displayed remarkable intensity on defense and offense and had good teamwork,” said Rising Suns coach Alvin Pua. “The one that lost to Erase did not have the same focus. Defensively, we were awful, particularly in the third quarter when Erase ripped the game open.”