Philippines reaches quarterfinals of FIBA Asia U16 Championship

The Philippines topped Group F by beating India 78-67, Monday (early Tuesday, PHL time), to earn a berth in the quarterfinals of the 2013 FIBA Asia U16 Championship, in Tehran, Iran.

After entering the second round with a 1-1 card, the Philippines proceeded to sweep their opposition, dispatching Jordan, Japan and India, to top Group F. As a result, they'll play Group E's fourth seed, Iran (2-3), in the crossover quarterfinals.

In the first quarter, the Philippines trailed by as much as five points, before eventually finding their bearings. A 13-0 blast put them up by eight, 17-9, and India never led after that.

Out of the halftime intermission, India got within a single point, 34-33, but the Philippines turned on their afterburners and closed out the third canto on a 17-8 blast, 62-47. That made the fourth quarter more of a formality, but the Philippines still kept piling it on, going up by as much as 23 markers, 70-47, before coasting to the finish.

Jose Go IV came off the Philippine bench and exploded for 26 markers, including hitting six triples. He also had four rebounds and four steals. Mike Nieto added 16 points and eight rebounds, while Jolo Mendoza and Carlo Abadeza chimed in with eight markers each.

The Philippines out-scored India 36-16 in points in the paint, and 10-2 in fast break points. - AMD, GMA News