Gems, Wizards try to lock D-League semis berths vs separate foes

Early quarterfinalists Cebuana Lhuillier and PC Gilmore look to advance into the semifinals on Thursday when they clash with the first round playoff winners in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. The Gems take on Freego Jeans in the 4 p.m. main game, while the Wizards face Pharex Naproxen Sodium in the 2 p.m. opener. Cebuana Lhuillier topped Group B with a 5-1 win-loss record to earn an outright quarterfinals berth. PC Gilmore, on the other hand, finished second in Group A with a 4-2 win-loss slate. The Gems take on Freego, which scored an 88-81 win over Maynilad, in the first round of the playoffs last week to also clinch a spot in the Last Eight. "Ever since the start of the tournament, I really thought that Cebuana Lhuillier is the team to beat. Most of their players are really big and physical," said Freego coach Leo Austria. Austria added that he thinks that his team will be more relaxed as they battle Cebuana Lhuillier. "There is no pressure on our part since we are a wild card team." Gems coach Luigi Trillo said that Freego remains a tough team to beat in the quarterfinal despite having a bad start in the classification phase. "Freego has such composure. But if we can perform against Freego's change up defense and defend well against their motion offense, I think we'll have a chance." After a four-game losing skid to end the classification phase, Pharex stunned Cobra Energy Drink in a big way with a 96-66 victory on Tuesday. "That big win will definitely boost our confidence as we go to the quarterfinals," said Pharex coach Carlo Tan. PC Gilmore coach Richard Del Rosario hopes that his team will go all out against Pharex after a long break. "It's going to be tough playing them coming off a win. I hope we come out aggressive and show no rustiness because of our long layoff between games." – Reuben Terrado, JVP, GMA News