Manila Capitals host Red Oilers tonight

MANILA, Philippines - Action in the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference II resumes today with Manila hosting Quezon and Gen. Santos taking on M. Lhuillier-Cebu at the San Andres Sports Complex.

The four-team tournament will culminate with the one-game finals on Saturday.

The Manila Capitals are out to break the homecourt jinx that has hounded all the past host teams this conference. No host team has successfully defended its home turf in the conference backed by Smart, ML Kwarta Padala, Air 21, Accel, Burlington, Laptop Phoneshop Exchange, Nature’s Spring and Molten and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

The Capitals opened their Conference II campaign with a sweep of the Pampanga leg last month then finished second in the Zamboanga City leg the following week to pool 22 Liga Tour Points for third place in the overall standings.

The Capitals boast of Jeff Sanders, Harold Sta.Cruz, Braulio Lim, Dennis Concha, Pol Santiago, Leimar Navarro, Lamont Waters and Jam Alfad, guards Rensy Bajar, Ronnie Zagala, Billy Moody and Kris Robles and centers Jovy Sese and Jerby del Rosario.

Only the top eight teams will advance to the national playoffs next month. Leading the pack are the Trace-Laguna Stallions with 32 points, followed by lone two-leg champion Misamis Oriental Meteors with 30.

The MP Warriors hold on to eighth Place with eight points.