Sunday, March 25, 2007 VAAA rivals Cobras, Jaguars clash in semis game By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Staff Reporter
THE brewing rivalry between Virginia Foods Inc-University of San Jose Recoletos and Skygo-Southwestern University will be renewed today, as the two teams face each other again for the semifinal rubber match of the Partners Cup basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.
SWU, the rookie team, will be the hungrier camp in today’s 4 p.m. tiff as it eyes vengeance after losing to the USJR Jaguars in the finals of the Visayas Amateur Athletic Association (VAAA) just this week.
The Cobras too are trying to prove that they can make it big time.
Hard ball
In this crucial encounter, the winner will advance to the title round to challenge early finalist CDO-University of the Visayas Green Lancers who swept the Metro Gaisano-University of Cebu Webmasters in the other semis series.
SWU’s path to the semifinals has not been a walk in the park.
In the quarterfinals, it had to go over a twice-to-beat advantage held by the Hapee-University of San Carlos Warriors to make it to the penultimate round.
And in the best of three semis, it lost to USJR in the first game. Luckily it was brought back to life in the second game, hence the deciding match.
Hell-bent
The Cobras will have to move heaven and earth as the Jaguars are just as hell-bent on emerging victorious because a lot of pride is at stake.
It needs to win today to save itself from a possible bashing.
The Jaguars, after all, is the team that came out on top of the seven-team field and destroyed the Cobras in the VAAA. USJR Coach Edito Salacot, will be banking on Lyndon Gudez and Bobby Hatague.
The two were the most prominent figures in the Jaguars’ win over the Cobras.
Some serious fire support is also expected from Armand Ponce and Luther Justiniani who are virtually unstoppable in previous Partner’s Cup outing.
Hot hands
On the other side, Dodie Miego, who has always admitted to his team’s end-game scuffle weakness, will pin his hopes on sweet shooting Alfred Belande, beanpoles Eric Zanoria and Clifford Maguate and burly center Gilbert Gallarde.
The Partner’s Cup is a collaboration of the Cesafi member schools and corporate sponsors like Hapee Toothpaste, Skygo, El Rancho Corned Beef Loaf, Guardo, General Milling Corp., CDO Bibbo Hotdog, Cebu Landmasters, Metro Gaisano and Lacto-Pafi.
THE Partners Cup not only seeks to become a filler for the long gap between the basketball seasons of the Cesafi but is also trying to solidify the project initiated of one of their best products—-Dondon Hontiveros.
