Philippine Collegiate Champions League Semis

(Photo credit for San Beda picture: Interaksyon.com)

Games on Wednesday (The Arena)
2 pm – SWU vs San Beda
4 pm – Ateneo vs UST

The Southwestern University Cobras try to announce their arrival on the national collegiate basketball scene as they battle NCAA powerhouse, San Beda Red Lions, at the start of the semifinal round in the 2012 Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) on Wednesday afternoon at the Arena in San Juan City.

The Cobras, the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champions, earned the right to be in the company of the best collegiate basketball squads in the land after they defeated the University of the Visayas Green Lancers yet again, 82-78, for the Southern Islands title last week.

However, it will be a whole different ballgame today as they face off against the rulers of the NCAA, the Red Lions, which hold the distinction of winning six of the last seven championships in their league. They are also the winningest team in league history with 17 titles to their name.

Expected to banner San Beda are Davaoeno, Baser Amer, Jake Pascual, Rome dela Rosa and Nigerian, Ola Adeogun who will be tasked to defend SWU’s double-trouble duo of Cameroonians, Ben Mbala and Justin Aboude.

The two teams actually met in Cebu earlier this year during the Sinulog Cup wherein the Red Lions took down SWU, 88-82, to snatch the championship.

In the second game, the much-awaited rematch between the UAAP’s “five-peat” champions, Ateneo Blue Eagles, and runners-up, University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, commences at 4 pm. UST grabbed the final ticket to the Final Four after clobbering the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 88-64, in the final match of the stepladder phase last Monday.

The Tigers are itching for revenge after losing to the Eagles in the finals of the UAAP as well as in the semifinals of the Sandugo-University Games. It remains to be seen though, if UST’s core of Karim Abdul, Jeric Teng, Kevin Ferrer and Jeric Fortuna can topple Ateneo’s Greg Slaughter, Kiefer Ravena, Nico Salva and Ryan Buenafe.

Jonas Rey N. Panerio
iSTORYAN League of Writers
Sports