RP Patriots seek No. 7 vs Brunei 5

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots, out to claim the No. 1 seed in the Final Four, go for their seventh straight win as they tangle with the Brunei Barracudas today in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) at the Brunei Indoor Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

This marks the first time that the Patriots
and the Barracudas will face each other after their scheduled game last October was cancelled due to typhoon “Ondoy”.

The Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre CEO and president Mikee Romero and businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco, have won their last six games, capped by their 81-69 rout of Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma for a 7-1 slate.

Brunei is in the cellar with a 3-5 record, but the RP Patriots coach Louie Alas remains wary of the host team.

For one, the Barracudas are coming off an impressive 80-63 win over the Kuala Lumpur Dragons last Wednesday, also in Brunei.

“That, for sure, will give them the extra boost when they face us,” said Alas. “So we have to play hard.”

The Patriots will also miss the services of Nonoy Baclao of Ateneo and Elmer Espiritu with the former honoring a previous commitment to play for Ateneo in the Philippine Collegiate Champions Lague (PCCL) finals against FEU today.

Espiritu, on the other hand, is nursing a broken cheek bone.

But the Patriots remain formidable with imports Jason Dixon and Brandon Powell and Rob Wainwright, Val Acuna, Froilan Bagion, JP Alcaraz and Erwin Sta. Maria in the fold.

Source: PhilStar.com