Team RP completes SEABA mission

MEDAN, Indonesia – Securing the SEABA crown with another rout of the host team Tuesday, the Powerade Team Pilipinas is now looking for the “real test” in the Jones Cup next month before taking the “real thing” in the Fiba Asia championship in Tianjin, China in August.

“In doing this (SEABA), we learned a lot in running the system. Now, we’ll go to the Jones Cup where we want to equip ourselves with the zone defense and improve our outside shooting,” said coach Yeng Guiao moments after the Nationals capped their successful Medan mission with a 98-68 repeat rout of the Indonesians.

“We had our share of nervous moments not just in the championship game but the whole tournament. We had to make a major adjustment because we are so used to the PBA system which is deliberate basketball. In international competition, you play players like these guys (in the SEABA) who just go and go,” Guiao said.

This was most apparent in the title match where the Nationals faced some challenge early on before getting into the groove and eventually pulling away from the overmatched but fierce-fighting host team.

All 10 Filipino players scored at least seven points each in a well-balanced and torrid offense which the Indonesians just couldn’t match.

“Once they controlled the tempo and built a huge lead, we couldn’t do anything to stop them,” said Indonesia coach Raoul Miguel Hadinoto.

A member of the Indonesian coaching staff in the 2007 Tokushima Fiba Asia Olympic qualifier, Hadinoto noticed the RP squad employing a different system now.

“The system is different from before. They’re pressing and running more. I think they can perform better this time using the system done by other teams in the Fiba Asia,” said Hadinoto.

For the record, the Nationals won twice by an average margin of 34.5 points over the Indonesians who will be the other Southeast Asian team competing in the Asian joust in Tianjin, China in August.

In the rematch, Indonesia managed to make it close in the first 17 minutes with a determined stand while egged on by the flag-waving and cheering home crowd at the Angkasapura Lanud Basketball Hall.

The hosts were down by only three at 32-35 before the Filipinos finally hit their stride and stepped on the gas, zooming to a 31-point lead, 74-43, towards the end of the third period.

The combination of Jarred Dillinger, Cyrus Baguio, Gabe Norwood, Mick Pennisi and Asi Taulava worked for that breakaway before Ranidel de Ocampo, James Yap, Willie Miller, Arwind Santos and Mick Pennisi took over to give the Nationals their biggest spread at 91-54.

As the Nationals relaxed a bit, the Indonesians took advantage, coming through with a run that again sent the home crowd to a frenzy.

The highly appreciative crowd even cheered Dillinger as the versatile Fil-Am crowd banged in a two-handed jam off an alley-oop by Norwood to close out the scoring.

As in their first three games, the Nationals struggled in three-point shooting, converting only four of 19 attempts.

“Our three-point shooting was way below our expectations. We have good shooters but for one reason or another, we’re not shooting well from the three-point area,” said Guiao.

“We have to work on that and start practicing the zone when we go back to Manila,” Guiao added. “We played match-up defense all the time here. But when it comes to Jones Cup and Fiba Asia, we have to play some zone.”