Enervon Cesafi Partner's Cup Prime Asia kicks off title defense vs. Gaisano five

CEBU, Philippines - The Prime Asia-UV Green Lancers will open their title defense against the Gaisano Capital South-UC Webmasters as 7th CESAFI Partner's Cup formally unwraps today at the Cebu Coliseum.

All six participating teams are actually seeing raction today, with Raphael's Cafe-USJ-R Jaguars taking on the Lions Katol-USPF Panthers in the second game at 4:45 pm.

In the main game of a featured triple-header set at 6:30 pm, the San Marino Tuna/CIT-U Wildcats will slug it out with the Cebu Landmasters-USC Warriors.

To provide all players the needed exposure preparatory for the regular CESAFI season this July, the tournament will once again follow a barangayan format. Of the 15 players  per team, five players will be playing the whole quarter without substitution until the third period. The re-shuffling of players will be done only in the fourth quarter.

Prime Asia of coach Felix “Donbel” Belano, Jr. will be banking on his holdovers from last season led by 6-foot-7 Nigerian recruit Steve Cedric Akomo.

The smaller Gaisano Capital South, on the other hand, have no significant stars this year compared to last season except perhaps for the return of shooter Gerald Ampoon. Their other big stars have already graduated and one of them is big guard Brian Quinton Heruela, who is now seeing action in the PBA D-League.

For the Partner's Cup Season 7, two corporate backers will make their debut in Raphael's Café, composed of the USJ-R, and the Cebu Landmasters, manned by USC cagers.

Raphael's Café, a new resto bar owned by Christian Senining located at Andres Abellana, will replace Ave Maria Sanctuary Park owned by his father Raffy Senining. Ave Maria of coach Edito Salacut, was a former Partner's Cup champion.

The Cebu Landmasters will have their first entry in the Partner's Cup, but they have long been supporting Cebu basketball with entries in many commercial leagues.

For the past years, the San Marino Tuna is sponsoring the USC Warriors, but it is now backing up the CIT-U Wildcats, while the Lions Katol (formerly the Lion-Tiger Katol) will be represented by the USPF Panthers.

Games of the Partners Cup are being held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  (FREEMAN)