4 teams dispute last 2 q’finals seats today

Four teams clash in do-or-die matches for two remaining quarterfinals spots in the 2004 PBL Unity Cup at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Host Lee Pipes-Ateneo battles Blustar Detergent in the featured match at 4 p.m. while Sunkist-UST tries to reaffirm its mastery over Montana Pawnshop at 2 p.m.

The elimination round of the season-opening tournament may go down as the toughest and most interesting battle in the history of the league as the quarterfinal cast has to be decided by holding two playoff matches–a first in the league.

After dropping their first five games, the Eagles have won four of their last five games, including a smashing 65-49 drubbing of the Jewels last Saturday.

It was the first time the Jewels were held below the century mark.

Actually, Toyota Otis-Letran also finished tied with Lee Pipes-Ateneo, Blustar, Sunkist-UST and Montana at 4-6 but the Knights took the second twice-to-beat advantage on account of a superior quotient.

The winner in the Lee Pipes-Ateneo and Blustar tiff will face defending champion Hapee Toothpaste while the Knights take the victor in the Montana-Sunkist showdown on Saturday at the Letran Gym.

League-leading Viva Mineral Water-FEU and perennial title-contender Welcoat Paints are already waiting in the semis after finishing the elims with 9-1 and 6-3 win-loss records. Hapee wound up with an even 5-5 mark after beating Sunkist-UST, 68-62.

Although the Eagles lost to Detergent Kings the first time they met this year, 64-65, the Katipunan-based squad is expected to exploit their court advantage this time around to advance into the next round.

But beating the Detergent Kings, won’t be easy.

The Detergent Kings have strung up three straight wins late in the elims before bowing to the Knights, 60-64, also last Saturday.

LA Tenorio, JC Intal, Paolo Bugia, Larry Fonacier and Nino Gelig are again expected to deliver the scoring load for the Eagles who are fine-tuning for the coming UAAP. For Blustar, coach Leo Isaac is pinning his hopes on veteran Erick dela Cuesta, Ronald Pascual and newcomers Dondon Villamin and Macky Aquino.

For the Tigers to beat the Jewels for the third time around, veteran Alex Compton and Jemal Viscarra must step up big time and have to play solid defense on Montana’s Al Magpayo and Jondan Salvador.