NCRAA: Doves face newcomer PMMS in opener

The St. Francis of Assisi College Doves are preparing for another tough season when the 15th Smart-National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA) basketball tournament gets under way Saturday at the Ateneo Blue Eagle gym. The league said that the Gabby Velasco-coached Doves will face newcomer Philippine Merchant Marine School of Las Piñas at 1 p.m. in one of three opening matches of this three-month long tournament, which also gained the support of Petron, Mikasa and Molten. Two other games - the Asian College of Science and Technology Lightnings match against comebacking Rizal Technological University and the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals game versus Philippine School of Business Administration will - will also be featured during the opening day. Manny V. Pangilinan, Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) president and telecommunications magnate, is the guest of honor in the simple opening rites. "We expect a couple of surprises right on opening day. Any team is capable of beating another on any given day due to the balanced nature of the field and competition," said NCRAA president Tisha Abundo. A win will give the Doves a good head start in their quest to move into contention again for a semifinals berth after missing the finals last year. The Doves, who won seven crowns, lost their bid to enter the finals after bowing to the EAC Generals, who settled for runner-up honors to eventual champion Arellano University . "It is our goal to be in the finals again," said Velasco after the Doves earned their third Universities and Colleges Athletic Association (UCAA) plum recently, with Luis Monfort calling the shots. The Doves are coming off a harrowing, fight-marred encounter with West Negros College Mustangs in the quarterfinals of the recent National Unigames in Bacolod City but the experience made the Doves a little tougher, with their almost intact roster ready to do battle again. Leading the Doves are mainstays Michael Rabor, Raymund Ilagan and Leomer Losentes. They will be supported with the likes of Es Santos, Jay Tan and TJ Samson. PMMS will be handled by former Adamson Falcon Wendell Aranzaso, while the Lightnings will be out to improve on their third-place finish last season. - GMANews.TV