Cebuana Gems, Jeans Makers try to stay at helm

MANILA, Philippines - Freego Jeans and Cebuana Lhuillier try to stay on top as they take on separate rivals today as action in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup heats up at the Adamson U gym.

The Gems hope to ride the momentum of their 81-65 rout of contender Big Chill last Monday as they go for win No. 6 with a lone loss against the winless PC Gilmore side in the 2 p.m. opener.

The Jeans Makers, on the other hand, try to bounce back from a stinging 62-78 setback to a struggling DUB Unlimited side last week that snapped their five-game winning run as they battle the Big Chill squad at 4 p.m.

Despite facing a team with a 0-3 mark, Cebuana coach Luigi Trillo said the Wizards remain a dangerous squad.

“You can’t underestimate this team (PC Gilmore). We can’t afford to be overconfident, many teams have lost for taking struggling teams lightly,” said Trillo. “But that won’t happen to us. We will play them the way we play the other teams.”

Trillo is pinning his hopes on his top playmakers Jai Reyes and Terrence Romeo, stressing for the duo to be in control to execute their offense well.

Freego Jeans coach Leo Austria is also expecting a tough outing against Big Chill, saying the Super Chargers, running third with a 4-2 card, are aching to bounce back from their recent defeat.

“Big Chill is a tough opponent. It has lot of good shooters and dependable big men who are tough to match up with. So we need to play smart,” Austria said.