POSTED BY: Eurobasket Center
THE top winner in the 2006 Budweiser Cup BANMI Island-wide Men's Basketball League will be known this weekend as the annual tournament holds its semifinals and finals matches.
The semifinals will be played this Saturday, while the winner-take-all match is set for this Sunday. All games will be played at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym.
The NMI Men's Nationals are one of the four teams left to battle for the Bud Cup championships and coach Rufino Aguon is hoping to get the job done to gain more confidence for the Micronesian Games.
"This tournament was designed to prepare our players for the Micronesian Games and it would be nice to win the championships and have something to boost the boys?morale going into the Micro Games," Aguon said.
The Nationals have to pass two tests to make it to the Promised Land.
First task is to beat the Ol扐ces in the semifinals and then defeat in the finals winner of the Microl-Samahang Ilokano at Pangasinense semis match.
The Nationals will meet the Ol扐ces in the second semis match tomorrow at 8 p.m. Microl and SIP dispute the first finals berth at 6 p.m.
In the Nationals lone game against the Ol扐ces in the regular season, the former pulled off a 95-92 win with Dan Barcinas drilling crucial baskets in the fourth quarter.
Aguon is expecting another tough day in the office against the Ol'ces, who are composed of the core of the Toyota/Budlight team that won the Bud Cup title last season.
"They are a tough team. But if we will play our game, we have a good chance to advance to the finals," Aguon said.
Aside from Barcinas, Aguon will be leaning on James Lee, Jeremy Sablan, Mel Manibusan, Mark Wallace, Gus Palacios, John Sablan, Kelvin Fitial, Jeremy Winkfield, Oscar Ada, James Villacrusis and Fred Pelisamen.
The Nationals are coming off a five-day clinic, which NBA veteran David Wood (206-F-64, agency: SportsTalent, college: Nevada-Reno) conducted along with University of the Nations?Richard Dankworth, Dan Dix and Mike Brown.
The NMI cagers are hoping they can apply what they learned from the clinic in the two crucial playoff matches and in the Micronesian Games.
The Nationals and SIP are slightly favored to win in the semifinals having topped the regular season with identical 4-1 records.
The Ol扐ces finished the regular season with a 3-2 record, after winning their last three games, while Microl dropped its remaining three matches and had a 2-3 slate, entering the playoffs
(Courtesy of Variety News)
