Champs League Minda elims under way

MANILA, Philippines - The Mindanao regional championship of the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship games kicks off today with four teams seeing action at the Gaisano gym in Davao City.

Seeing action are the Cagayan de Oro Scorpions, Ateneo de Davao Blue Knights, Holy Trinity College Wildcats and the Southern City Bulldogs. The games will end on Oct. 8.

The Scorpions advanced to the regional event after a 101-96 upset win over last year’s champion Xavier University in the final of the Cagayan de Oro collegiate league.

In the Davao City collegiate league, the Blue Knights also ended defending champion University of Mindanao Seahawks’ dominance with an emphatic 91-82 win.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, prevailed over the Blue Fins of Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College in the General Santos City final. It marked the first time that the Wildcats reached the regionals.

The Southern City College Bulldogs beat the Ateneo de Zamboanga, 69-54 to earn the right to represent Zamboanga province.

The winner will advance to the zonal qualifying games in Cebu where four spots will be up for grabs to the “Sweet 16” Finals.

Teams that have booked spots in the Cebu zonals are NAASCU champion San Sebastian Recoletos, Cavite Baycats and UAAP fifth placer Adamson University. Spots are also reserved for the Visayas regional champion, the NCAA fifth placer, and the second to fourth placers of CESAFI.

Already assured of spots in the “Sweet 16” Finals are the Ateneo Blue Eagles, University of the East Red Warriors, Far Eastern University Tamaraws, UST Growling Tigers, San Sebastian College-Recoletos Stags, San Beda Red Lions, JRU Heavy Bombers and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights.

The nationwide search for the country’s top collegiate basketball team is sponsored by PLDT and Smart.