LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Strawberry Cup semifinals seat hunt just got tighter as multiple teams kept on coming up with crucial victories over their rivals. After the May 24 games, the picture for who the semifinalists in two brackets got murkier with the downfall of erstwhile leaders.
See Strawberry Cup 4 latest results and updated standings
Kath Kiel started the uprising last May 18 by downing erstwhile leader DRJ, 91-89. The win propelled them to a tie for third to fifth and puts the Avengers Isaiah 7:14 (4-3), in sixth place at that time, just one game back of new leader Truant (5-2).
On May 24, erstwhile eight place holder Isaac followed this up with a win over DRJ, hiking their record to an even 4-4 after eight games. They still remained at 8th place but dragged DRJ further down to 4-3. More importantly, the win kept their slim hopes alive as three of the top four teams, Buguias, K11, and Kath kiel, sport a record of 4-2. A win in their last game will definitely shore up their hopes.
Then seventh place occupier Kabado (2-2) were still fighting Truant to keep their top four spot last Friday.
In Bracket F, the La Amistad Wangz toppled Isaac, 87-76, to force a tie with their victims at 3-3. They are tied for fifth to eight places but are just a game down from bracket leader Legalized Baguio (3-1) and just half a game behind PROCOR (3-2), Pocna (3-2), and Brethren (4-3) who already completed their eliminations games.
In Bracket H, Gardenville and Sweet Peas failed nailed automatic slots as they absorbed losses last week.
Gardenville (6-2) fell to Motocure last May 19 to give up their second loss. They still lead the bracket standings but now got the Neophytes (5-2) and the Joseans (4-2) closely trailing them with also just two losses each.
The defeat absorbed by Sweet Peas (4-3) to the Tropazz last May 24 got them to a precarious situation of having to fend off FMA Aquisan and Farmer’s Zone Trading, both at 4-3, for the fourth spot.
Meanwhile, North formalized its entry in the top four in bracket I by demolishing Kabagis last May 22 and distanced themselves by putting a 2½ game barrier from the fifth place team, Wesleyans.
By: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS