Pinoyliga Cup Finals Primer: Dynastic tiff between UST and San Sebastian in the 40&UP

  • Jul 05, 2019
  • BASKETBALL
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A dynastic clash is set in the 40 and UP finale at the Pinoyliga Inter-Alumni Cup, as UST and San Sebastian are looking to rekindle their glory days this Saturday, 11:30 AM at the Gatorade Hoops Center. 

There will be no further introductions in this encounter as the Growling Tigers and the Golden Stags were bannered by their usual notables who famously suit up for either Aric Del Rosario or Turo Valenzona, in which they have 11 titles between them from the 90s up to the early 2000s.

The main men:

Inside their den in Espana, Richard Yee was the main man for UST as he was during his time in the 90s, where he was integral to the last of the four-peat squad in 1996.

The former Purefoods big man averaged 11 points per game, and his leadership and experience is vital to the SSI-backed squad.

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Joining Yee are other Growling Tigers notables of the past such as Rommel David, Lester Del Rosario and Jake Agleron. This trio now forms that vaunted back court mob squad of UST - SSI Metals 

Meanwhile in Recto, it was a trio of Baste legends who filled the sheets, as Mark Macapagal, Christian Coronel and Jam Alfad carry the load for them.
The bridge between the Sensational Six in the 90s and the back-to-back titles in the 2000s, Macapagal has the hottest hands in their division by leading all players in scoring (29 per game) and three point shooting (67%), as well as the highest efficiency (at 33.62 PER).

Image may contain: 2 people, people playing sports and basketball courtMacapagal was backed up by the dynamic duo of Coronel and Alfad, in which the slashing guard was the Stags' second leading scorer at 22 per game, while Alfad is their man crashing the boards at 11 per outing.

Who has the edge? 

In one of the best match ups the league has ever seen, this one is definitely a toss up as with Mark Macapagal being the possible game changer with his long range threat that UST may not be able to answer. Coronel will have his hands full with the backcourt trio of Agleron, David and Del Rosario. Alfad and Yee might cancel each other out.