CECABA All-Stars face new hoop challenge vs fellow Easternians

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association All-Stars will embark on an entirely different challenge as they square off against their fellow Easternians, the equally-tough CECABA selection, in an exhibition game today at the Cebu Coliseum.

The goodwill encounter scheduled at 1:30 p.m. is the main highlight of the closing and awarding ceremonies of CECABA's 13th Dr. Chen Lieh Fu Memorial Cup, Cebu's second oldest-existing alumni-based cage league.

The CECABA All-Stars, coming off a morale-boosting 84-63 win over the Manila-based Philippine Cultural College Alumni-Kiao Tiong ballclub, will once again be led by dreaded sharp-shooter Chester C. Cokaliong of Batch '78 as they seek to improve their record of 22 wins, seven losses and one draw.

The CECABA stars have played a total of 30 exhibition matches since 2002, but it's only the first time that they will go up against their fellow CEC graduates, making their hardcourt duel unpredictable and more exciting.

Cokaliong, an eight-time scoring champion and 16-time All-Star MVP, will be backed up by reliable tandems from different batches in Mark Eugene Bukiron and Earn Saguindel ('99), Dean Dy Teves and Joseph James Yu ('95), and Shaun Christopher and Mark Ryan Babor ('96).

They will play alongside Chester's vastly-improved brother Christopher Cokaliong, the ageless Zotico Tan of Batch '67, Samuel Sia of Batch '84, Joel Chan of Batch '85, and Ryan Alexis Mendez of Batch '89.

The talent-laden CECABA selection, on the other hand, will be manned by Donald Anthony Ting of Batch '95, Stephan Tan of Batch 80's-A, Chester Go of Batch 80's-B, Gregorio Aguilar of Batch '88, Anthony Chua and Wellington Yu of Batch '94, Timothie Tan of Batch '97, Rex Millan and Robinson Yap of Batch '98, Ruben Yap of Batch '99, Bryan Lo of batch 2000, Joseph Aljhune Areja of batch 2004, Philip Lua and Ryan Chua of batch 2005, Junwyn Dy of Batch 2006, Raymark Ong and Juan Carlo Espada of Batch 2007, and Harold james of Batch 2009. (FREEMAN)