Southern Island leg of Champs League under way in Cebu

FOUR provincial teams start their “Sweet 16” quest when the Southern Island bracket of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League unfolds today at Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City.

Visayas leg champion West Negros University battles Mindanao winner Holy Trinity College at 2 p.m., while powerhouse Cebu squads University of Visayas and University of San Jose-Recoletos clash at 4.

The champion of the three-day Southern Island contest—which also features Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champion Southwestern University—will earn a Final Four berth in the nationwide tournament.

Wowie Escosio, the star rookie who bagged Cesafi’s Most Valuable Player award, tries to lead the UV Lancers anew after the nine-time champions surprisingly settled for a runner-up finish to the SWU Cobras.

The USJ-R Jaguars, the Cesafi third placer, hope to match up with a formidable frontline led by Abulaiz Sulaiman and Renato Abing.

Bacolod’s WNU Mustangs and General Santos City’s HTC Wildcats, though, had to go through a longer route to earn a Sweet 16 spot.

Powered by Rashmore Catalino, the Mustangs nipped University of Iloilo, 84-82, in the finals of the Visayas regional championship to advance.

The Wildcats also ruled the Mindanao leg after routing STI-Cagayan de Oro, 100-78, in the title game behind Cristopher Masaging, Denver Polistica and Kevin Pragados.

Manila teams get to see action starting tomorrow with UAAP third placers National University Bulldogs colliding with NCAA semifinalist San Sebastian Stags at 4 p.m.

On Thursday, La Salle and Adamson try to keep their bids alive at 2 p.m. after surviving their Sweet 16 knockout games in Batangas last weekend.