Red Lions eye semifinal berth
Games today: (Ynares Sports Arena) 4:30 p.m. — Go Torakku vs CCI-Yengskivel 7:30 p.m. — Marinerong Pilipino vs CEU
Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda looks to clinch an outright semifinal berth in the 2024 Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants’ Cup when it duels with Centro Escolar University (CEU) today at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
The Red Lions are unbeaten in the three games and another win would tie it with idle EcoOil-La Salle Green Archers at first place and secure for both teams their places in the top two.
But CEU (2-1) could provide an interesting twist in the tugof-war for an outright semifinal berth should it beat Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda in the 7:30 p.m. encounter.
A shock win by the Scorpions will not only tie it with the Red Lions but also keep them in the race for an outright spot in the Final Four.
Meanwhile, CCI-Yengskivel (1-2) and Go Torakku-St. Clare (03) seek an all-important win when they clash at 4:30 p.m.
A second win by CCI-Yengskivel will give the team a twice to beat advantage in the quarterfinals but a victory by Go Torakku-St. Clare would keep it in contention for a coveted spot in the quarters.
No team will be eliminated after the single-round eliminations. The top two teams will clinch automatic berths in the semis while the third and fourth teams will enjoy a twiceto-beat advantage in the quarters.
“We have to do better than our last game. We expect the games to be tougher and we can’t take any team for granted. Our goal is to make the Top 2 and we expect a tough game against CEU to achieve that goal,” Red Lions mentor Yuri Escueta said.
“We have an underdog mentality coming into this league. It’s a much tougher competition, especially with the presence of UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) champions. We’ll be ready,” CEU mentor Jeff Perlas said.