THE ROAD to a second straight championship for the Cebu Landmasters will not be a walk in the park as they need to go through the top-ranked Harley Davidson at the start of the Division A Finals in the 22nd Sacred Heart Ateneo Alumni Basketball Athletic Association (SHAABAA) Basketball Tournament Powered by Common Ground.
Game 1 of the best-of-three finals is tomorrow, 2:30 p.m., at the Magis Eagles Arena.
Harley Davidson won two out of three games against the Cebu Landmasters this season, giving the latter’s head coach Mike Reyes legitimate cause for concern.
“It’s difficult to defeat Harley Davidson because they’re all varsity players,” said Reyes, referring to the likes of current University of the Philippines Fighting Maroon Pio Longa, ex-Magis Eagles aces Eroll Pastor, Travis Mantua, Jair Igna, Steven Co and AJ Ong, former University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguar Fletcher Galvez and former University of San Carlos guard Gio Laguyo.
Harley Davidson handed the Cebu Landmasters a 69-59 beatdown in their first encounter, but the latter rebounded with an 82-75 win in their next meeting. Harley Davidson then claimed the Cebu Landmasters’ scalp, 87-75, in their very last game in the elimination round.
Reyes went as far as saying that they need an “almost perfect game” to beat Harley Davidson.
On the other side, Harley Davidson is leaving no stone unturned in their quest for their very first title.
The team, then playing under the banner of the RDAK Stallions, came close but eventually lost to Petron/Goldberry Suites in the 2015 finals.
Assistant coach Francis Auquico said defense will be the key to winning over the Cebu Landmasters.