The NCAA has taken a break in the 95th men’s basketball tournament to allow all Filipino basketball fans to cheer for the Gilas Pilipinas competing in the ongoing 2019 FIBA World Cup in Foshan, China.
The league has one remaining playdate to complete the first round —the tripleheader postponed twice due to bad weather.
Instead of rescheduling it today, Tuesday, the NCAA Management Committee decided to have it played Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
“We’re one in supporting our beloved national team Gilas Pilipinas. We’re giving way to the national team in its campaign in the 2019 FIBA World Cup” said NCAA MANCOM chairman Peter Cayco of season host Arellano University in a statement yesterday.
“As a nation, we want to focus and cheer as one for our national team —win or lose we support them and we at the NCAA, this is our own little way to show our all out support to Gilas Pilipinas and the efforts of the SBP,” added Cayco.
The men’s games will have Letran taking on College of Saint Benilde at 12 noon, followed by defending three-time champion San Beda versus Mapua at 2 p.m., and Arellano against San Sebastian at 4 p.m.
Paul Supan, Jose Rizal University’s NCAA MANCOM representative, is currently in Foshan as part of the delegation of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas as the league is one of its stakeholders.
The national team of coach Yeng Guiao opened its World Cup campaign with a 108-62 loss to world No. 13 Italy last Saturday.
Despite the setback to Italy, one of the positives for the national team were the performances of erstwhile NCAA rivals CJ Perez, a one-time league MVP from Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Robert Bolick of the Red Lions.
The pair of PBA rookies debuted in the FIBA World Cup with impressive plays as Perez scored 15 points to match the point production of naturalized Andray Blatche, while Bolick added six points.