Rep. Yap Congressional Cup LT2 eyes Tuba upset; quarterfinal wars on

TUBA, Benguet – The top four seeds hoped to end early the quarterfinals as they battled the four lower seeds carrying a twice to beat advantage in the Cong. Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup at the Tuba gym in Poblacion here Saturday, Nov. 4 at press time.
    Bokod and La Trinidad 1 hoped to finish it outright as the top two seeds battle the last two to join the elite eight when quarterfinal actions started Saturday morning.

    It was the second seed Trinidad 1 which started the four-game schedule at the Tuba gym in Poblacion here as the toughest team on paper took on late attendee Kapangan at 9 a.m.
    It was followed by the tussle of Bokod against the bottom feeder Mankayan.
    Mankayan was one of the late addition to the quarterfinals slate as it lost three times, then escaped Kabayan last Oct. 24 to get to the last eight.
    But that needed confirmation as Atok was the dark horse when it played Kapangan in the last of the 91-game schedule.
Atok started hotly and was 11 up early in the game. But a searing second half of the host turned things around and cruised to a 91-81 lead. It was game over for Atok, but Kapangan got the seventh spot on 6-7 win-loss card, while Mankayan took the eighth spot for a 5-9 card. Atok tied Bakun at 4-9.
    The first two seeds were expected to cruise past their rivals and if not, then a rubber match was scheduled today.
    The afternoon will see Itogon taking on sixth seed Buguias (7-6) with the latter hoping to win and arrange the winner take all rubber match Sunday.
    And the closest fight will be the last with host Tuba facing off with the fifth seed La Trinidad 2. Both have firepower to make a run in the event presented by the office of Cong. Eric Go Yap, the ACT-CIS Party List, the office of Gov. Melchor Diclas, the Media for Sports Development as well as Mark Media Solutions.com and the Dominican Tropa Pares.
    The semifinals are slated next November 13 and 14. The top two squads after the eliminations have twice to beat advantages throughout, unless an upset occurs and the lower seed steals that privilege, said commissioner Roderick Osis.
    Meanwhile, 15 players from the 14 teams were expected to see action in the Benguet All Stars set Nov. 30 at the Benguet Sports Complex. — MSD e