SHS-Ateneo off to Milo BEST regional finals

CEBU, Philippines - The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Passerelle and Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) teams leave for Iloilo this weekend for the regional finals of the Milo-backed BEST SBP-Passerelle Twin Tournament.

The Magis Eagles are seeking their third straight Visayas Regional championship in the Passerelle division where they will face St. John’s Institute of Bacolod City, Ateneo de Iloilo and Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion College of Roxas. Although favored to score a three-peat, Coach Rommel Rasmo isn’t taking any chances.

“We’ll go out there to win a third straight but it won’t be easy. All the other teams don’t want us to win another regional championship,” Rasmo said. Expected to be at the forefront of the Magis Eagles are SBP/Passerelle veterans on their last playing year: Adrian Muller, Rebreb Diputado, Julius Cadavis, RG Araw-araw, Patrick Go, Jet Wahing and Reggie Abbu. 

In the SBP division, SHS-AdC, which last made a trip to the regional finals in 2007, will have their hands full against pre-tournament favorite University of St. La Salle of Bacolod, Ateneo de Iloilo and Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion College of Roxas.

Ateneo de Iloilo is the defending Visayas SBP champion, while USLS is considered as a favorite due to their performance in last summer’s Batang PBA tournament. “All our players are considered rookies at the regional level, but we just have to trust ourselves and count on everyone to play their respective roles,” coach Bon Rosito stressed.

The champion of the regional finals will then face off against the three other regional champions from NCR, Luzon and Mindanao at the national finals which will be held here in Cebu at the USC Main Gym on Nov. 20-21. – THE FREEMAN