9th Durano Cup:Danao, San Francisco start hot

CEBU, Philippines — Defending champion Danao and last year’s runner-up San Francisco look like they mean business in snaring the top two spots anew as they each scored two straight wins at the 9th Cong. Red Durano Cup basketball tournament that kicked off over the weekend at the Danao City Civic Center and had visited two other towns.

Danao trashed Poro, 76-46, on opening day in Danao Saturday, then outscored Sogod, 88-73, a day later in Catmon. Meanwhile, San Francisco defeated host Catmon on Sunday, 65-44, then scraped past the upset-conscious Compostela, 70-68, in Sogod.

Meanwhile, Compostela and Sogod lurked behind the favorites by each splitting their first two games. Sogod trounced Tudela, 83-61 after losing to Danao, while Compostela cruised past Pilar, 89-27.

 Liloan and Borbon won their first games with Liloan defeating Poro, 80-69, and Borbon nipping Pilar, 56-54. With Danao and San Francisco leading the team standings at 2-0, Compostela and Sogod are at 1-1. Liloan and Borbon are tied at 1-0 while Poro, Tudela and Pilar are at 0-2. Catmon is 0-1.

The night edition of the Cong. Red Durano Cup is played in the Under 18 age group and features eleven teams from the municipalities and lone city of the fifth district.

 Games are played on a town-hopping scheme that brings all teams across all eleven towns, including the Camotes islands.

 Among the notable products of the league includes Paul Desiderio who once played for Liloan, and crowd favorite Kenny Roger Rocacurva. Ex-PBA player Eliud Poligrates also played in the league when he was younger.