Stallions open Liga title defense on home turf

LOS BANOS, Laguna, Philippines  – The Trace-Laguna Stallions are all set to defend their home turf against an ultra competitive cast of invaders when they take their turn to host the games of the 2009 Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference II starting Wednesday at the Trace Computer and Business College Gym. The games will culminate with the leg championship on Saturday.

The Stallions of Erwin Genuino, champions of the General Santos City leg in the league’s opening week, will be challenged by two recent leg winners – the Smart-Pampanga Buddies and the Misamis Oriental Meteors – plus the unpredictable Iloilo Mang Inasals. The Stallions are currently on top of the Liga tour standings with 27 points, ahead of the Manila Capitals (24 points) and Ilocos Sur Bravehearts (22 points).

The Meteors (16 points) and Buddies (15 points) are next to each other in fourth and fifth place. Iloilo holds the 11th and last spot with a solitary point. Only the top eight teams will advance to next month’s national playoffs.

Focus will be on Friday’s meeting between the Stallions under coach Nomar Isla and the Buddies of coach Allan Gregorio, a rematch of the championship game of the Ilocos Sur leg won by the Buddies in overtime, 82-77. The Stallions also want to be the first home team to annex a leg title this conference, a feat that has eluded the hosts of the first five legs.

To do so, Isla will continue to bank heavily on 6-8”center Samuel Ekwe, guards Alex Angeles and Ricky Ricafuente and forwards Rob Sanz and RB Mangahas. The rest of the Stallions include centers Jose Magdadaro and Marlon Legaspi, guards Mario Reyes and Axel Doruelo and forwards Glen Bolocon, Luis Palaganas and Jan Villaver.

Meanwhile, the Meteors of Gov. Oscar Moreno and coach Jun Noel aim to maintain their unblemished 4-0 win-loss card after sweeping the Zamboanga City leg. They are the only undefeated squad left in the conference backed up by Smart, ML Kwarta Padala, Air 21, Nature’s Spring, Burlington , Molten, Laptop Phoneshop and Accel and sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

The Mang Inasal of Robert Uy and coach Jerry Jaranilla are hoping to bounce back from their debut in last week’s Quezon province leg where they finished last.

The team is known for pulling off surprises just like during last conference’s playoffs where the then 11th seeded team ended up a victory short of barging into the Final Four.

After the games in Laguna, the Liga Pilipinas Tour makes a stop in Manila Feb. 18-21 followed by simultaneous legs in Taguig and Iloilo from Feb. 25-28. The last two legs will be hosted by Cebu (March 4-7) and Misamis Oriental (March 11-14).