M. Lhuillier battles B-Meg tonight

CEBU, Philippines - Riding on the crest of their masterful conquest of Air 21 Express, the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños hope to slay another PBA giant when they go up against the James Yap-led B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados in an exhibition, yet another highly-competitive hardcourt showdown at 6:30 tonight at the Cebu Coliseum.

Game today (Cebu Coliseum)

6:30 pm B-Meg Derby Ace

vs. M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala

Against Air 21 five days ago, the Niños of team owner Michel J. Lhuillier and legendary coach Raul "Yayoy" D. Alcoseba were in complete command of the match, leading by as much as 19 points, 59-40, before cruising to an 81-76 victory.

As in their past encounters against PBA heavyweights, the Niños are again hell-bent on giving their pro rivals one heck of a fight.

Though the presence of B-Meg superstar James Yap remains uncertain as of this writing, B-Meg remains a force to reckon with.

Among the B-Meg stalwarts to watch out for include Cebuano hotshot Roger Yap, Kerby Raymundo, Peter June Simon, Jonas Villanueva, Rommel Adducul, Don Carlos Allado, Nino "KG" Canaleta, and Marco Pingris.

The rest of the B-Meg crew under the command of coach Jorge Gallent are John Paul 'Pong' Escobal, Jondan Salvador and Jerwin Gaco.

They will clash with the equally-strong fighting force of M. Lhuillier led by trio of sharp-shooters in Stephen Padilla, Felix Belano, Jr. and Jayford Rodriguez.

As if to add scare to their foes, the Niños have the luxury of shuffling their offensive cards as the likes of Bruce Dacia, Richard Ian Saladaga and Mark Abadia could also deliver the goods when needed. Nat Cruz, Abby Santos and Bogs Raymundo are reliable patrolmen at the paint who could also jack up their offense, while Mark Ababon and Froilan Baguion are explosive back-up pointguards.

Tickets for the M. Lhuillier-B-Meg battle are priced at P300 for ringside, P250 for the lower box, P100 for the upper box, and P50 the general admission.

After taking on B-Meg, the Niños train their sights next on settling an old issue as they again face the Cebu Landmasters in what could be a grudge rematch of sort when Mandaue turns to host the third leg of SMC Liga Pilipinas Conference V from June 8 to 11 at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.

From a ragtag squad during the past four conferences, the RDAK-Mandaue Cebu Landmasters gained a certain measure of respect and established themselves as a legitimate title contender after they surprisingly trounced the Niños for two consecutive games on the way to winning the Cebu City leg.

The other competitors in the Mandaue swing of Liga are the MisOr Meteors and the newly-crowned second leg titlist Laguna Golden Lions. — THE FREEMAN