Fruitas eyes No. 4 vs Cagayan today

Well-rested and motivated, Fruitas shoots for a fourth straight victory against dangerous Cagayan Valley today in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao.

The Shakers, determined to atone for a disappointing finish in the previous conference, face a tough test in the 2 p.m. clash against the Rising Suns who have notched back-to-back victories.

Defending champion NLEX hopes to continue its climb in the standings when it battles Boracay Rum at 12 noon.  Cafe France also seeks a fourth straight win against newcomer EA Regen Med in the 4 p.m. duel.

Fruitas coach Nash Racela expects his troops to be fresh and ready for a high level duel following a 13-day break.

“The last two games were really tough for us,” said Racela. “This one [against Cagayan] should be another [tough] challenge considering they’re coming off back-to-back wins.”

After losing their first game in overtime to Blackwater Sports, the Rising Suns have easily won their next two at the expense of Informatics and Jumbo Plastic.

The Road Warriors are hoping to make it back-to-back as they continue to battle without some of the players who were instrumental in their past title runs.

NLEX has been short on ceiling without star center Greg Slaughter, who has opted to focus on Smart Gilas. Eric Camson and Jake Pascual are looking to fill the void even as backcourt players Kevin Alas and Borgie Hermida hope to provide the scoring punch.