4 teams target last 2 PCBL semis slots

FOUR teams fight for the last two semifinal berths in a pair of knockout matches in the PCBL Chairman’s Cup today at Marikina Sports Center.

Sta. Lucia and Biyaheng SCTEX tangle at 5 p.m., while Euro-Med and Foton battle at 7 p.m. in the Game 3 double-header of the quarterfinal series.

The winners will join the top-ranked Mighty Sports and Jumbo Plastic, the league’s inaugural champion, in the Final Four.

Both teams earned outright semifinal slots after emerging as the top two seeds in the elimination round.

Sta. Lucia coach Ogie Gumatay expects the Realtors to build on Sunday’s Game 2 triumph, 77-67, that forged a do-or-die match.

Fully recovered from a hamstring injury, import Landry Sanjo dominated the paint while also holding down SCTEX big man Raul Soyud to just 10 points.

Also clicking in Game 2 were the Realtors gunners led by Jhaps Bautista and Jett Vidal.

Foton, meanwhile, hopes for another huge outing from Levi Hernandez, the former Arellano guard who erupted for a league-high 36 points in the Toplanders’ 79-76 overtime triumph over Euro-Med.

Hernandez set the most points scored in a single game in the fledgling league during Sunday’s crucial triumph that forced a winner-take-all. Jasmine W. Payo