
M-League: Parañaque, Caloocan in vital tiff

Games Tuesday:
(Parañaque Sports Complex)
4 p.m --Taguig vs. Manila
5:30 p.m. -- San Juan vs. Marikina
7 p.m. -- Parañaque vs. Caloocan
PARAÑAQUE returns home with an eye on a second win in four matches when it plays Caloocan in the Metro League Open basketball tournament at the Parañaque Sports Complex.
Still smarting from a 60-74 setback to San Juan only three days ago, the Green Berets hope to recover lost ground when they host the Supremos in the 7 p.m. encounter in this 10-tean tournament organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and supported by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The Green Berets’ lone win was against next-door neighbor Las Pinas, 101-96, last Oct. 4.
The Supremos have won two of their first three assignments, including a hard-earned 102-100 win over erstwhile unbeaten Manila last Saturday.
Taguig battles Manila at 4 p.m. and San Juan meets Marikina at 5:30 p.m. in other games in the tourney which has “mobile app ng bayan” Barangay 143 as presentor, Spalding as the official ball, Team Rebel Sports as official outfitter and Synergy 88, San Miguel Corp., World Balance, Frabelle Foods, Summit Mineral Water, Alco Plus, Gerry’s Grill, Excellent Noodles, glitter.ph, SM Supermalls and Nature’s Spring as major sponsors.
Both Manila, 2-1, and Taguig, 1-1, are coming off close losses in their previous outings with the All Stars losing to Caloocan and Taguig falling to Valenzuela.
San Juan guns for a second straight win when it takes on Marikina, one of only two winless teams so far.
Meanwhile, Erwin Sta. Maria of Valenzuela and Rickson Gerero of Pateros were named World Balance “Player of the Week: for the North and South divisions, respectively.
Sta. Maria averaged 24.5 pts (on a high 56 percent shooting from the field), 10.5 reboundss, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals in the Workhorses’ twin victories over Taguig and Caloocan.
Sta. Maria won over Cyrus Tabi and Sandy Señal of Quezon City and Aevin Coquia and Johnnel Bauzon of Caloocan Gerero emerged as the top man for the South with averages of 18.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.0 block in Pateros’ first three games.
Gerero edged San Juan’s Homer Jagunap, Parañaque’s Rafy Gusi and Taguig’s Richard Albo for the honor.
Only the top four teams from each division will advance to the division semifinals after the single round-robin eliminations where teams play each other once including those in the other division.
Glenn Capacio is the commissioner.