|
TOKUSHIMA, Japan: Despite a bruised ego and shattered
pride, San Miguel-Pilipinas still managed to squeak past Syria in
overtime, 107-100, to jumpstart its campaign in the consolation
round of the 24th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship on a winning note
Tuesday.
Jimmy Alapag put aside the
emotional baggage of the Nationals’ stinging loss to Jordan less
than 24 hours earlier in their sudden death game for a quarterfinals
berth here, leading the RP scoring for the third straight game with
32 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor and 15-of-16 showing
from the foul line.
With help from Danny Seigle,
Dondon Hontiveros and big man Asi Taulava, Alapag orchestrated the
Nationals’ telling breakaway at the start of the extra period that
finally clinched the win that somehow eased the burden of the
team’s failure to advance in the tournament qualifier of the 2008
Beijing Olympics. Taulava, playing his was through a sprained ankle,
had another fine offensive game, finishing with 15 points and
grabbing 17 rebounds, 11 on the defensive end, to cap a
double-double while Seigle played his best game so far with 15,
including five straight to start the overtime and anchored a crucial
10-0 blast for a 99-89 RP lead.
“These are the kind of games
that are tough to play. I don’t think we were emotionally ready to
play this game after the loss. I doubt if any of our players had
much sleep last night,” admitted RP team coach Chot Reyes,
obviously still reeling from that 76-84 setback to Jordan but can
now managed to put up a smile from time to time.
“I told the players that when
we signed up and committed to play for the national team, we signed
up to take in the whole experience, both pleasant and the
unpleasant. Obviously, this is the unpleasant part, but part of the
representation of our national team is to go through it all the
way.”
Mark Caguioa had 15 markers for
SMC-RP, but was taken out with 2:28 left in regulation and the
Nationals trailing, 84-86, when he hyper-extended his shoulder,
joining Kelly Williams on the sideline, who earlier suffered a pull
hamstring injury after playing for seven minutes as a starter at the
4 spot.
“We’re just fortunate enough
to find that energy to finish the game today,” Reyes added.
“I know psychologically and
physically your team is very tired. We tried to take our chance, but
we’re not just lucky,” said Samer Kayaly, the coach of the same
Syrian team the Nationals beat in the recent Manila Invitationals.
Trying to console the Nationals,
the Syrian mentor was vocal enough to say, “that your team
deserves to be in the Final 4.”
Playing erratic in the first
half, the Nationals trailed early on, but found their rhythm in the
last two quarters and readily engaged the Syrians in a seesaw
battle.
A driving lay up by Alapag
regained the lead for the Nationals, 89-88, with 32 seconds left,
only for Syria to tied the game at 89 on a split free throw by
Micheal Madanly off a Kerby Raymundo foul 14 seconds later.
The Philippines had one last shot
at winning the game in regulation, but Hontiveros missed on a set-up
three-pointer to pave the way for the extra period.
Scores:
SMC-RP 107—Alapag 32, Caguioa
16, Seigle 15, Taulava 15, Hontiveros 11, Ritualo 6, Raymundo 5,
Menk 5, Norwood 2, Williams 0, Helterbrand 0.
Syria 100—Madanly 33, Alsaman
27, Yakoub 16, Alkatib 12, Hasaballah 7, Abdallah 5, Labes 0.
Quarterscores: 18-24; 38-35;
65-65; 89-89 (reg); 107-100.
|
