Discovery Perlas advances to semis of 3rd Asian Beach Games

The Philippine women’s 3-on-3 basketball team Discovery Perlas ng Pilipinas advanced to the semifinals of the third Asian Beach Games basketball tourney on Monday, boasting of a 2-1 slate in Group A.   Comprised of Analyn Almazan, Merenciana Arayi, Melissa Jacob and Allana May Lim, and coached by Haydee Ong with assistant Gina Francisco, the quartet drew Thailand, India and Nepal in the elimination round games.   The ladies got off to a hot start on Sunday, dominating Nepal 20-1, but they came back down to Earth later that day, losing 9-14 to Indonesia.   On Monday, they managed to squeak by Thailand 11-10, to give them a 2-1 record, good enough to advance to the next round.   They'll face their biggest challenge yet later on Monday, an undefeated China team that is on top of the Group B standings.   3-on-3 basketball is a 10-minute, half-court game, one that eliminates transition opportunities, and puts the focus on skill and fundamental play, not sheer athleticism.   The third Asian Beach Games opened last June 16 in the coastal city of Haiyang, located in the province of Shandong, China. The week-long athletic meet has 49 gold medals at stake over 13 different sports.   Discovery-Perlas is part of a Philippine contingent of 33 athletes. - AMD, GMA News