Tribu Sugbu to host Manila tonite

After missing in action for a month, Cebu's pride Tribu Sugbu plunges back to business with a mission to fulfill in its crucial game against former PBL member Bacchus-Harbour Centre Manila at the resumption of the Panasonic-NBC National Championship at 7:00 tonight at the Minglanilla Sports Center.

The one-month lull was the longest vacation for the defending champion Tribu Sugbu, which lost to Iloilo Warriors, 84-89, the last time it saw action on August 3 in Iloilo City.

This is a very important game for Tribu Sugbu because the outcome could help determine its position going into the semifinals where the top two teams gain a twice-to-beat advantage over the No.3 and No.4. The rest of the teams will undergo knockout matches in order to survive.

Tribu Sugbu is currently tied with another Cebu-based ballclub, the Hapee-Dewfoam Mantawi Sparkling Nights, on identical 7-4 win-loss records.

Coach Al Solis is not worried of their long vacation because they are holding regular practice even before he left to Thailand where the NBC-Nature's Spring won the 9th Crown Prince invitational basketball tournament in Haad Tai City with a 72-60 humiliation of host Thailand.

What concerns Solis more is the absence of Neil Rañeses, who was tabbed by the Coca Cola Tigers as the 11th overall pick in the 2005 PBA Draft last month. The vacuum created by Rañeses forces Solis to make another adjustments, more so that Tribu Sugbu lacks a legitimate big man who can dominate the post.

Aside from playing as its turf, the only advantage by Tribu Sugbu in tonight's game is that Bacchus is coming off a losing slump. It is playing against a Manila team with a 2-5 win-loss record and if this will be the main gauge, Tribu Sugbu has nothing to worry about.

Bacchus-Harbour Centre though can't be taken for granted noting that majority of its players are PBL veterans. They are Ronjay Enrile, Arjun Cordero, Allan Gamboa, Harold Sta. Cruz, Nani Epondulan, Rich Hardin, Kenneth Coyukang, James Hudencial, Francis Raushmayer, Celso Pile and Carlo Brett Reroma.

Tribu Sugbu relies on Doroteo Almacin, Rex Mangubat and Lowell Briones, who formed part of the NBC selection that won the Thailand joust. Expected to back them up are Alex Cainglet, Ronaldo Bucao, Boyet Guerrero, Michael Luga, Eduardo Pening, Chris Ferraren and Bernie Ursal.

Should they win tonight, Tribu Sugbu also needs to beat Hapee in order to finish as the No.2 seed in the South.

Likewise, winning over Bacchus and Tribu Sugbu is in the mind of Hapee. Hapee hosts Tribu on September 7 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

Meanwhile, the Far Eastern Insurance-backed Cavite locked up one of the top two spots in the Northern Conference after it blasted the Cagayan de Oro Stars, 95-86, on Monday night at the Tagaytay City Sports Complex.