LAST year’s finals protagonists, Abrenica and Team Samsam, opened their respective campaigns in this year’s edition of the Emil’s Cup basketball tournament with rousing victories on Saturday night at the Minglanilla Sports Complex.
Team Samsam, the reigning champions of this competition, edged SG-ARQ, 101-96, as former pro Eliud Poligrates exploded for 42 points.
Charles Pepito added 13 even as Rey Suerte chipped in 12.
Meanwhile, Abrenica leaned on the three-pronged attack of former Cesafi MVP Wowie Escosio, Vincent Menguito and Harold Cincoflores to power past ASPA, 107-94.
Escosio, the burly power forward who remains the only player in Cesafi history to win both the Rookie of the Year and the MVP plums in the same season, tallied 25 markers. Menguito, the former ace of the Cebu Institute of Technology-University, had 24 while Cincoflores, a cat-quick guard, had 23.
The teams will play a single round-robin with the top two finishers getting a twice-to-beat advantage in the semis. The champion will receive a cash prize of P120,000 while the runner-up will bring home P55,000. The second runner-up will get P30,000.