CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue-Cebu Landmasters play host to Talisay City for the first time in tonight's resumption of the 1st M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Basketball Association (CBA) season at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.
Before the Mandaue-Talisay tussle, the Asian College of Technology (ACT) Cyber Knights and Hotel Fortuna, both slumping squads, will go up against each other.
The Landmasters may be playing at their turf, but they cannot take Talisay for granted because the latter too are upset-conscious.
Mandaue will parade its talented homegrown kids in the likes of Frangel Omolon and Jerwin Espina who will be supported by Kelvin Juliane, Jared Kane Abatayo, Ronan Isidro, Marvin Tundag and Franklin Nailon.
However, Moncrief Rogado, one of Mandaue's brightest stars, is no longer available as he was signed up by the San Miguel Beer as practice player that might as well be his stepping stone to become one of the Beermen's future gunners.
Rogado signed a six-month contract with San Miguel last Monday witnessed by team manager Robert Non.
Talisay, which stunned the Cyber Knights last week, is gunning for its first back-to-back wins in the tournament, while Mandaue is still bleeding for one.
Meanwhile, the second-ranked Ave Maria Sanctuary Park (3-1) hopes to rebound from a loss last week at the hands of solo leader SCSIT Skyblazers (4-0) when it faces Hotel Fortuna, which is sporting a 1-2 win-loss record.
Ave Maria relies Danny Aying, Jercules Tangkay, Alex Cainglet, Aldrin Ocañada and Gerry Cavan among others, while Hotel Fortuna, which is manned mostly by the SWU Cobras crew, can count on Marlon Basco, Vernini Tangarorang, Eric Zanoria, Clefford Maguate, Chris Litorja, Jefferson Pria and Aard Evan Diango. (FREEMAN)