|
JAKARTA, Indonesia: The Philippines is definitely
back in the map of Asian basketball.
Harbour Centre-RP team restored
back basketball pride and glory to the country by trouncing SM
Britama-Indonesia in the finals, 85-67, to win the Seaba Champions
Cup for the country’s first international title in two years.
Playmaker Marvin Cruz erased the
stigma of the two-year suspension on the country FIBA lifted
recently, as he delivered a team-high 20 points, most of them coming
like daggers struck deep into the throats of the highly-physical
Indonesians.
Import Julius Nwosu also had a
defining game for the nationals, finishing with a double-double of
18 points and 16 rebounds, while Jonathan Fernandez and John Christopher
Intal bombed from the outside to add 16 and 12, respectively.
Together, their efforts opened
the floodgates for the country to represent the region in the FIBA-Asia
Champions Cup in Tehran, Iran.
Now the RP 5 under coach Chot
Reyes takes over, as the all-pro unit is the one bound to see action
in the tournament set next month.
Reyes is currently in the thick
of preparing the nationals in their ultimate bid of earning a berth
in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup, won
by the country twice in the past, included as part of the team’s
calendar of events.
Coach Junel Baculi, architect of
RP’s championship runs in the 1996 and 97 Champions Cup,
considered his latest conquest the sweetest of all his international
feats.
“Kahit na Seaba lang, ito pa
rin ang pinakamasarap sa lahat since this is the country’s first
international title following the FIBA suspension. At the same time,
we paved the way for coach Chot’s team to compete in the FIBA-Asia
Champions Cup and there’s no more gratifying other than that,”
said the bemoustached veteran coach.
Scores
Harbour Centre-RP 85—Cruz 20,
Nwosu 18, Fernandez 16, Intal 12, Arana 7, Massiah 6, Castro 4, F.
Rodriguez 2, Magpayo 0, Lanete 0, L. Rodriguez 0.
SM Britana-Indonesia 67—Duany
23, Crosswhite 17, Achmad 11, Gunawan 6, Sumargo 5, Prihantono 3,
Wijaya 2, Sitepu 0, Sondakh 0, Jati 0, Situmorang 0.
Quarters: 22-8; 40-25; 63-45; 85-67.
|
