MAKE short work of their foes.
That’s what favored squads Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda University and Go Torakku-St. Clare intend to do when they take on separate foes as the quarterfinals of the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup get going today at The Arena in San Juan.
Armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, the No. 3 Red Lions try to finish off Keanzel Basketball in the curtain-raiser at 4:30 p.m. and forge a semifinal duel with Centro Escolar University.
Ditto with the fourth-ranked Saints, who will seek a repeat win over CCI-Yengskivel in the nightcap at 7:30 and gain a Last Four clash with defending two-time champion and top seed EcoOil-La Salle.
“We expected a tough week playing CEU and La Salle, but the team is very positive and looking forward to playing in the quarterfinals,” Marinerong Pilipin-San Beda University coach Yuri Escueta, whose wards clobbered Keanzel 109-59 in the eliminations, said.
“We needed those kinds of games to gauge our team and learn. It makes us humble and work harder,” he added.
The semis of the season-opening tilt will be a best-of-three series, with the Lions and Go Torakku-St. Clare is out to get the job done.
Already in the Final Four are the Green Archers with the Scorpions, who stunned the Lions to gain the second seed and the last outright semis berth last week.
Go-Torakku-St. Clare ripped CCI-Yensgkivel in the elims 118-84, something Saints strategist Jinino Mananlasa hopes would boost his team.
“Trabahuhin lang namin nang maayos iyong CCI. Siyempre bilog ang bola pero hindi namin sila iu-underestimate,” he said. “Kailangan lang namin paghirapan.
