JOSE Rizal U shoots for a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals when it tangles with a desperate Cebuana Lhuillier squad today in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
After flirting with elimination early in the tournament, the Heavy Bombers try to complete a brilliant turnaround with a victory in the 2 p.m. showdown.
A win by the Gems will also give them the final quarterfinal berth.
“It will be very tough to beat JRU because they are playing solid lately,” said Cebuana coach Beaujing Acot, whose team is coming off a 102-94 win over Informatics last week.
The 73-61 victory of Fruitas over Boracay Rum last Tuesday actually eased the burden on the Bombers, who already secured their place in the playoffs. But JRU coach Vergel Meneses said there should be no room for complacency from his team.
“It was big relief for us,” said Meneses of the Fruitas’ victory. “We’ll be more comfortable playing with the pressure off our shoulders. But we’re still very motivated to win because we want to clinch that [twice-to-beat] advantage.”
Meneses’ wards have actually won four straight games, allowing them to vault back into contention after teetering at the brink so early into the tournament.
With a 5-5 record, Fruitas is actually hoping for a JRU victory as it will give the Shakers outright entry to the quarterfinals. Big Chill, with a 6-4 record, is hoping for a JRU loss which will seal the second twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals for the Superchargers.
Blackwater Sports tries to wrap up an impressive elimination-round campaign with a victory against Erase Xfoliant team at 4 p.m.