Warriors open Liga bid vs Red Oilers

MANILA, Philippines - Gen. Santos battles Quezon today while Pampanga collides with Zamboanga at the start of the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference III General Santos City leg at the General Santos gym in Gen. Santos City.

Currently holding the eighth and last playoff spot with five Liga Tour points in two legs, the Warriors of Manny Pacquiao open their bid at home against the Quezon Red Oilers at 6 p.m.

The Red Oilers are tied with the idle Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue at sixth with eight points.

The Warriors have dominated the Red Oilers in the conference backed by Smart, Accel, Molten, Calcium-Cee, Gatorade, Air 21 and Burlington and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). In the opening Cebu City leg last month, the Warriors beat the Red Oilers twice, 81-65, in the preliminaries and 72-66 in the battle for third.

But the Red Oilers will have the returning Ramsey Williams, Jorel Canizares and Angelus Raymundo, who played a big role in Quezon’s runner-up finish to the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños in last week’s Quezon Province leg.

The Warriors have Dondon Mendoza as their leading scorer and rebounder with 11.4 points and five rebounds a game with support to come from Jonjon Gonzaga, Donald Tadena, Christian Cabatu and Bob Cozy Ilanga.

In the first game, the fourth-ranked Smart-Pampanga Buddies (14 points) play the Zamboanga Uno Latinos (one point).