Crucial games for JRU, Cebuana Lhuillier

THE JOSE RIZAL University and the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems try to complete their fightback and make it to the semifinal round when they clash with the Big Chill Superchargers and the Cagayan Valley Rising Suns, respectively, in the do-or-die quarterfinals today at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The fifth-seeded Heavy Bombers edge the no.4 Big Chill Superchargers, 63-61, while the six-seeded Gems nipped no.3 Cagayan Valley Rising Suns, 84-83, on Tuesday to force a deciding match for the two remaining semi-final berths.

The Heavy Bombers face the struggling Superchargers at 2 p.m. while the Gems battle the Rising Suns at 4 p.m. with the winner joining top seed and defending champion NLEX Road Warriors and no.2 Blackwater Sports Elite in the next round.

The Heavy Bombers will also need the scoring of John Villarias, Jeckster Apinan and Philip Paniamogan to get the job done. The trio combined for 10 points on 3 of 12 shooting last Tuesday.

Unfortunately, things don’t look pretty good for the Superchargers, who lost four of their last six games in the elimination round. After blowing their shot for an outright semi-final spot, Big Chill lost its advantage in quarterfinals with Tuesday’s defeat and is now in danger of elimination against the upset-conscious Heavy Bombers.

For the third straight game Big Chill will be without the injured Terrence Romeo. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio