TERRENCE ROMEO and the GlobalPort Batang Pier face a daunting task of pulling the rug from under a dominant San Miguel Beer side as the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup goes out of town anew on Saturday at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
The game is set at 5 p.m. with the prolific Romeo hoping to challenge the towering presence of three-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, as the two hottest teams try to preserve their streaks.
Two convincing victories propelled GlobalPort to a shared second place with Rain or Shine on five wins and three loses. The Batang Pier now have a chance to break free from the deadlock and gain more momentum entering the final stretch of the conference.
“Our coming games will be difficult. We’ll be facing tough teams,” Batang Pier Coach Franz Pumaren said.
Pumaren is fully aware of his team’s biggest headache on Saturday—Fajardo, again a front-runner in the Best Player of the Conference race. But he has Romeo, the conference top scorer with 27.6 per game he laced also with a front-running 5.9 assists per outing.
“I think we have to play better and smarter against San Miguel [with June Mar there]. We have to do something to limit his production,” Pumaren added.
Fajardo posted impressive numbers of 15.4 rebounds and 20 points per game.
GlobalPort beat NLEX, 110-96, last week for its second consecutive win and fifth overall in eight games. Romeo scored 32 points, while Stanley Pringle contributed 20 points in that victory.
The Beermen, on the other hand, solidified their hold of the lead with a 107-101 win over Rain or Shine on January 13.
Fajardo was at his usual best with 25 points and 17 boards, while Arwind Santos contributed 17 points and 15 rebounds, Alex Cabagnot 14 points and some clutch plays and baskets down the stretch to extend their streak to seven games. San Miguel is already assured of a quarterfinals seat.