THE readiness of the five UCAL (Universities and Colleges Athletic League) team members – reigning titlist Olivarez College included – will be put to a test when they vie in the PG Flex Invitational Tournament 2025 Quintana Cup starting on Monday at the Paco Arena in Manila.
The twice-a-week preseason event organized by UCALI will see Olivarez College, Manila Central University, Immaculada Concepcion College, Diliman College and multi-titled Centro Escolar University go up against two Team Bs (second teams) from NCAA and one from the UAAP.
NCAA, UAAP teams compete
While they are represented by players recently cut from their main teams, Letran, San Sebastian College-Recoletos and University of the Philippines vowed to go all-out – reason why Tournament Director Horacio Lim sees more interesting matches beginning with the Diliman-Letran tussle at 4 p.m.
“Players of these squads are likely to put extra and perhaps serious effort to gain attention and another opportunity to make the grade next season,” said Lim.
Other opening day matches will have the UP Maroons taking on the MCU Supremos at 5:45 p.m. and SSC-R Stags facing the ICC Blue Hawks at 7:30 p.m.
The ninth team of the event that has the backing of Smart Sports, Crane, Topflite, Hapee, Gerry’s Grill, Spalding, Mighty Bond and Best Options is Gardner College, which Lim said is out to test the waters before making a decision if it is going to make a big plunge next year or not.
Just how good Gardner’s basketball program is will be known when it battles the Olivarez Sea Lions on Thursday, Oct. 2, also in the same venue.
Olivarez hopes to the sustain the momentum of historic first UCAL title last season, a feat that ended a series of runner-up finishes in the fastest-growing league.
Standing in Olivarez’s way in its bid to join SSC and La Salle in the club of champions are CEU and Diliman – both raring to get the confident swagger back after their failed campaigns last season.
To make good this time, both CEU and Diliman have beefed up their respective rosters.
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