RP 5 thrashes Singapore for SEABA finals berth

MANILA, Philippines – As expected, Powerade-Team Pilipinas booked a seat to the finals of the 8th SEABA men’s championship with a 117-69 blowout of Singapore, sweeping the preliminary round Monday at the Angkasapura Lanud Basketball Hall in Medan, Indonesia. The win was the third in as many games for the PBA-backed Nationals and formally netted them a ticket to the FIBA-Asia Men’s Basketball Championship in Taijin, China this August. They now try to put the icing on the cake as they battle host Indonesia in the championship game Tuesday night. The RP cagers blasted the Indonesians in their earlier meeting, 103-64. On the instructions of coach Yeng Guiao, the Nationals shifted into fast break mode right away, running down the Singaporeans behind the exploits of Cyrus Baguio. The high-leaping Baguio was virtually untouchable on offense, going 10 of 14 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free throw line for 28 points – a tournament high. Ranidel de Ocampo slashed for 17 points with 10 rebounds, and team captain Asi Taulava, in his best performance so far, muscled his way to 14 points with 13 rebounds. “Our emphasis is to really ingrain the fast break concept on the guys, whether we’re playing a strong, big team or a small team that’s also quick like Singapore," said Guiao. “The important thing for me is to be consistent with the running game." Singapore, led by a Joseph Yeo look-alike point guard named Wong Wei Long who gave Willie Miller and Gabe Norwood fits, was out of it early, falling behind 33-14 after the first quarter, 58-25 at the half, and 93-45 at three-quarter’s end. In the other game, Indonesia forced Malaysia into 24 turnovers in scraping a 74-67 victory to gain a title showdown with the Filipinos. Indonesia ended the preliminaries with a second-best 2-1 while Malaysia wound up with 1-2, just a win better than winless Singapore. By reaching the finals, Indonesia likewise secured a spot to the FIBA-Asia tilt, a qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. – GMANews.TV