LOWER brackets in the ongoing 21st Baguio Friendship Cup basketball invitational tournament will take center stage Saturday at the Easter College Gymnasium.

Minero will open the eight scheduled games starting at 10 in the morning facing a deadly Golden Pine Hotel squad.

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Minero and Golden Pine are currently tied at 1-0 win-loss card after winning their first games last week.

The Miners bucked the absence of its key players to withstand a gallant Mang Ed's La Paz Batchoy in overtime, 111-104 during the opening games.

Minero took the limelight clinching its first win in bracket D of the tournament with newly acquired players in Mark Calalo, CJ Sanklin and Vergel Vergara to upstage the tough as nut Mang Ed's in a hotly contested ball game with more than 24 lead changes in the ballgame.

Calalo and Sanklin piled up the points of the team's production, 33 points apiece to lead the miners' charges with Vergara chipping in 12 points while Minero regular Bobby Bio added 10 points.

Golden Pine Hotel had too much firepower in their arsenal ripping Sitel, 81-65, in bracket D last October 27.

"Subukan naming sabayna ang Minero sa bilis pero pag dating sa height medyo lamang sila," said Golden Pine's captain ballo Brian Canias.

Utilizing tough defense and fluid offense, Golden Pine opened the game wide as early as the first quarter and copped the victory by posting the season's biggest winning margin.

Earl Ganga led Golden Pine with 23 points including five triples drawing help from former Miners journeyman James Boyacs chipping in 15 points.

John Pineda and Brian Canias added 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Some 60 teams from Baguio and Benguet opened their title quests the other week with the lavish yet simple opening rites of the longest running and biggest amateur league north of Manila.

Other games to be played are bracket's O, F, G, H, and C with team Uno gunning for its second win after downing NCHA in their opening game while Innocence will try to score its first mark in the tournament.