Gems lean on crack backcourt vs Rum Waves

Lester Alvarez, Raymond Maconocido and Bacon Austria will now man
the backcourt of the Gems, hoping to complement well with Kevin
Alas and Simon Atkins as they seek a first-ever D-League crown.

“I think we have added quality pieces,” said Cebuana Lhuillier
coach Luigi Trillo, who also acquired forwards Janus Lozada and
Jeck Apinan to firm up their frontcourt.

But while acquiring new players, Trillo also lost a pair of
talented guards in Jai Reyes and Terrence Romeo.

Reyes moved over to the Bangkok Cobras in the Asian Basketball
League, while Romeo was among the five players barred from playing
in the league by their school team Far Eastern U until after the
UAAP season is over.

Whether the new recruits have already adjusted to Trillo’s system
will be known today when the Gems and the Waves clash at 4 p.m.

Also making its debut are Café France and Erase Plantcenta, which
mix it up at 2 p.m.

Trillo said it is always a challenge playing against Boracay Rum
because the Waves are tough competitors who always play hard to
win.

“(Boracay Rum) coach Lawrence Chongson has proven time and again
that his teams can win. He has added depth to his rotation. We
know their forte is zone and we respect that,” Trillo said.

For the Waves to succeed, Chongson said, they must be able to
match the Gems’ energy and defensive hustle.

“Going up against a more superior team like Cebuana Lhuillier, my
boys have to be resilient for 40 minutes. We can’t afford to
blink even for a second or the game might slip from our hands.”

Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop has been the leading pawnshop chain
in the Philippines with over 1,500 branches across the
country—from Aparri to Tawi-Tawi. For 25 years now, Cebuana
has been true to its slogan “Walang Kapantay Magpahalaga”
through its incomparable services including pawning, local
and international remittance, insurance, bills payment,
e-load, collection, and foreign exchange.