Olivarez, CEU kick off UCAL title showdown

Defending champion Olivarez College and Centro Escolar University (CEU) begin what could be a highly charged best-of-three title series in the PGFlex-Universities and Colleges Athletic League Season 8 basketball tournament on Monday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

Game time is at 1 p.m. with the well-rested CEU Scorpions looking supremely confident to regain the crown after a dismal showing last season that saw the Mendiola-based squad miss the Final Four.

But things went from bad to good for the Scorpions since the arrival of Nigerian Precious Momowei, who fits like a glove to the system of coach Joe Silva, and the inspired showing of Mark Jade Sarza.

Sarza was especially hot in the team’s vengeful 82-75 win over Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas Pirates in their semis series a week ago as he tallied double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds.

This marks the third finals showdown between CEU and Olivarez in the league with the Scorpions winning the first two including the inaugural season in 2016-17.

That’s the biggest motivation for the Sea Lions this time, and certainly, it will add drama to the series.

One thing going for CEU is that it has beaten Olivarez twice in the two-part elims on the way to finishing No. 1 with a 10-1 record.

The second-seeded Olivarez, which beat Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas, 68-56, in their knockout semis match, remains unperturbed and focused in its mission to become the third school to win back-to-back championships in the league after Diliman College (Seasons 3 and 4) and CEU (Seasons 5 and 6).

While CEU has Momowei, Sarza and Christ Jay Singson as their main source of firepower, the Sea Lions can always count on their own foreign student-athlete in Hakim Njiasse, Rodel Renon, Hanz Maycong and Bryan Manuel.