Pampanga Foton, UP-Diliman duel in FBA semifinals

Action in the inaugural Filsports Basketball Association Unity Cup heats up today with the staging of the knockout semifinal round with elims topnotcher Pampanga Foton hoping to sustain its form against QC UP-Diliman at the Oreta Sports Complex in Malabon.

The Tornadoes, led by the high-scoring Levi Hernandez, dominated the double-round elims with nine victories against a loss, making them the heavy favorites when they take on the Fighting Maroons in the 5:30 p.m. main game.

QC-UP Diliman wound up fourth in the elims with a 4-6 slate.

Metro Racal Autocenter won six games in the elims and lost four to end up No. 2 and will take on the third seeded Antipolo Wang’s side in the other semis encounter at 3:30 p.m.

Winners will dispute the championship in another one-game playoff on June 6.

Pampanga-Foton swept QC-UP Diliman in the elims, including a scrambling 99-94 victory at the Colegio de San Sebastian Gym in San Fernando, Pampanga two weeks ago.

Focus will be on Hernandez, who has been mocking the various teams’ defenses with his highscoring act, including a 32-point explosion in the Tornadoes’ most recent triumph over the Maroons.

Another player to watch for the fancied Pampanga side is Jerald Bautista, who came through with a 25-point performance in the Tornadoes’ last outing.

The Autocenter Artemis are also oozing with confidence as they head to their match-up with the Antipolo Wang’s with the former thwarting the stubborn Mighty Malolos Bulsu cagers, 111-106, in overtime.

In contrast, Antipolo Wang’s is coming off a stinging 80-82 defeat to the also-ran Laguna Busa Warriors, a team mentored by former PBA stars Nic Belasco and Ali Peek.

The home-and-away league, considered as the first regional, amateur and grassroots league of its kind, is held every Saturday and is aired on PTV-4.