After TOP glory, Niños to battle 2 PBA teams

CEBU, Philippines - Still in euphoria of their historic feat in the Tournament of the Philippines (TOP), the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños gird up for another daunting challenge as they square off against two powerhouse Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) squads next weekend.

The Niños of team owner Michel J. Lhuillier and decorated coach Raul “Yayoy” D. Alcoseba will slug it out with reigning PBA Fiesta Conference champion Alaska Aces on September 25. The following day, the country’s best commercial team will collide with the James Yap-led B-Meg Derby Aces Llamados.

Game time is set at 5 pm both at the University of San Carlos (USC)-Main gym.

During their previous exhibition match against Alaska a few months ago, M. Lhuillier ace playmaker Woodrow Enriquez suffered a nasty fall and was left unconscious for several minutes before being rushed to the hospital. It turned out that Enriquez sustained a cervical injury that abruptly end what had been a colorful basketball career.

Without Enriquez, things still turned out well for the M. Lhuillier with the entry of the equally-competent pointguards in Warren Ybañez and Froilan Baguion.

Just last Monday at the Cebu Coliseum, the Niños defeated arch-nemesis MisOr Meteors in the deciding match of their epic best-of-five finals, 77-75, series to clinch the first ever championship of TOP - a joint venture of the Liga Pilipinas and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Because of their continued dominance in the commercial circuit, rumors have it that M. Lhuillier is bent on joining the PBA but Alcoseba did not confirm nor deny it. (FREEMAN)