Tough mountain to climb for Max4-Birada Cebu in fourth leg of Patriot’s Cup 3×3

Cebuano Leonard Santillan will be making his return to Wilkins Balanga on Saturday, July 13, 2019. | Chooks-to Go photo

Cebu City, Philippines—The Max4-Birada Cebu will have to hurdle an old nemesis that will now feature a familiar face if they are to make some noise in the penultimate leg of the Chooks-to-Go Patriot’s Cup on Saturday, July 13, 2019, at the SM Megamall Event Center.

The Cebuanos have been grouped in Pool B along with the Marikina Shoemasters and the Wilkins Balanga, which ousted them from the semifinals during the third leg last weekend. They will face off against the Alvin Pasaol-led squad at 12 noon. 

Not only will Cebu have to deal with Pasaol, Karl Dehesa and import Travis Franklin, but they will also have to face Cebuano Leonard Santillan, who will be making his return to the tournament this weekend. 

The former University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancer led Balanga to four Finals appearance in the President’s Cup.

If Cebu is to have any chance to duplicating or even improving on their standing from last week, they must take down both Wilkins Balanga and the Shoemasters, who they will face at 1:45 p.m.

Cebu nabbed 50 points during the third leg to prop their total to 111 points, which is good for seventh place in the standings.

Also set to make their return are the Gold’s Gym-Pasig Kings, who are coming off a quarterfinals finish in the 2019 FIBA 3X3 Poitiers Challenger last week.

Pasig and VetHealth-Delhi 3BL are tied at second with 230 points.

For their part, third leg champs Phenom-Basilan Steel, who will not have Roosevelt Adams once more as he is playing for Mighty Sports in the William Jones Cup, will field little-known Fil-Am Brandon Hunter together with Franky Johnson, Troy Rike, and Marcus Hammonds. /bmjo