Sparks raring to get back at Spinners

Toyota Otis coach Louie Alas has already achieved one of his two modest goals in the 2006 PBL Unity Cup: Making it to the Final Four.

But can he achieve the other one?

Alas knows the odds are great but he believes they have now what it takes to end their jinx against Magnolia Ice Cream.

Game time is set at 2 p.m. with the Sparks out to close out their campaign on a high note having secured one of the two outright semis berths Tuesday — thanks largely to Granny Goose Tortillos’ thrilling 78-73 overtime win over Rain or Shine.

Montaña Pawnshop, which also claimed the other automatic semis berth with Grann y Goose’s victory, battles the hapless Hapee-PCU squad at 4 p.m.

"There’s no harm in trying, we’ll try our luck again and hopefully we succeed this time," said Alas.

"Magnolia is one of the toughest squads in the league and beating them will be a great joy.

The Sparks have beaten the Spinners only once in 10 meetings since joining the league two years ago and that explains why Alas is so eager, if not obsessed, to get back at Magnolia.

Actually, it’s not only Toyota Otis, which is desperate to beat Magnolia, it’s almost everybody.

That’s understandable since the Spinners are gunning for back-to-back championships, a feat that had eluded the past champions in the last three years. The last team to win two straight championships was Hapee in 2003-04.

In their last meeting, the Sparks came close to beating the Spinners after rallying from a 16-point down behind the brilliant forays of Joe Calvin Devance.