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Bud Cup, WBL resume tomorrow
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Posted on May 05 2006
The 4th Annual Budweiser Cup-BANMI Island-wide Basketball League and 2006 BANMI Women’s Basketball League return to the familiar confines of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium tomorrow with four games on tap.
The WBL will be the first to see action as Garapan Rollers will try to bounce back from their opening day loss when its tackles debuting Southern in the 2pm first game.
Garapan Rollers will suit up center Vanessa Diaz and guards Trishia Catalla and Nicole Lebria against a Southern team, which composition is still a mystery until the game’s tip-off.
Ol’Aces, which drubbed G-Rollers in the first day of competition, then tries to follow up that win when it takes on Saipan Southern High School in the 4pm match.
The Oleai-based team is loaded with talent and boasts of national team mainstay Beverly Igitol and a young core made up of Lia Rangamar, Chelsea Ruluked, and Tanya Cabrera.
The Lady Rays, for their part, are expected to be bolstered by the likes of guard Henny Elayda and forward Melissa Coleman. It will be the first game of the WBL season for SSHS.
The men takeover from the women beginning at 6pm when four-time UFO Basketball League champion Samahang Ilokano at Pangasinense squares off against Cyclones in the Bud Cup opener.
SIP, which routed the CNMI National Team last April 22 on opening day, will be backstopped by mainstays Rick and Tom Alegre, Peter Mendiola, and Elmer Esdrelon with help from “imports” Jawn Joyner and two tall Americans.
Cyclones, for their part, will try to pull off the upset by fielding speedsters Justin Fejeran and Tyler Yu, bruising center Bruce Berline, and shooter Gary Lashley. The team is coming off a loss to Bud Ice last time out.
The 8pm second game then pits the 1-1 Nationals against 1-0 No Zone. The Nationals will continue to rely on the all-around talents of Dan Barcinas, the explosive scoring of Fred Pelisamen, and leadership of Gus Palacios.
Jack Palacios, Gus Palacios, and Jonavan Lizama, meanwhile, will be the main men for No Zone.
The WBL and Bud Cup will return to its regular Saturday schedule next week, May 13, after shifting its weekend schedule to Sunday last April 29.
