FINALS underdog? That’s just fine with BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare coach Stevenson Tiu.
“Obviously, underdog kami. But I told them (players), na-reach natin ang finals, so it’s your time to shine,” said Tiu.
For Marinerong Pilipino counterpart Yong Garcia, his wards’ unbeaten run in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup will mean nothing if they fail to win it all.
“We’re happy na nasa finals kami pero mas masaya siguro kung makukuha namin ang championship,” Garcia said.
The Skippers and Saints clash today in Game 1 of their best-of-3 title duel for the season-ending crown at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
The match is set at 3:30 p.m., with the winner moving within a victory of bagging its maiden title.
Marinerong Pilipino is unscathed with a 9-0 record overall in the conference and is coming off a two-game sweep of Technological Institute of the Philippines in their semifinals battle.
The Skippers will go into the game armed with a 96-79 triumph over the Engineers in Game 2 of their semis showdown last Sept. 23.
Former pro and MVP frontrunner Eliud Poligrates, and fellow former PBA players Mark Yee, and Byron Villarias, Jay-R Alabanza, Jhonard Clarito, and Rev Diputado are expected to lead the way for Marinerong Pilipino, which reached the Big Dance for the first time since joining the league in 2017.
BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare won its semis showdown with Centro Escolar University 2-1.
The Saints are coming off a 73-59 triumph over the Scorpions in the semis clincher last Sept. 26.