Discovery Perlas five out to prove point in SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines - Long overshadowed by the highly accomplished men’s team, the Discovery Perlas Pilipinas women’s basketball quintet seeks to get a share of the podium spotlight when the 26th Southeast Asian Games blast off next week in Indonesia.

“The team is very excited. Of course, we want to win the gold, just like the men’s team. Hopefully, this will be the first time we’ll win the (women’s) gold,” Perlas coach Haydee Ong said during Friday night’s send-off rites hosted by AKTV for Team Philippines at the PhilSports Arena.

The cagebelles’ best finish was silver in 1995. But they will go into the Indonesia SEAG boosted by their conquest of last year’s SEABA women’s tourney, their first-ever international crown.

The core of that SEABA-winning crew, led by 6’1 Casey Tioseco, Melissa Jacob, Merenciana Arayi, Diana Jose, and Aurora Adriano will suit up anew as the Filipinas aim to turn their bronze in the 2007 edition into a breakthrough gold.

The Phl five will play defending champion Malaysia on Nov. 14, Myanmar on Nov. 16, previous edition’s runner-up Thailand on Nov. 18 and host Indonesia on Nov. 19. The top team at the end of the single round-robin elims will capture the plum.

“Our scheduling is quite good. Hopefully, we’ll bring home the bacon,” said Ong, who tagged Malaysia, Thailand, and a vastly improved Indonesian team reinforced by half-Americans as their biggest threats.

The Filipinas will embark on their mission without center Zheng Xiaojing, their 6-foot-3 naturalization prospect from China. Zheng’s application for naturalization is still pending at the House of Representatives.

“Even if we’re undersized, we’ll draw strength from our defense and outside shooting like we did in the SEABA,” said Ong, who tapped two 5-foot-11 cagers in former UAAP MVP Analyn Almazan and Maria Lalaine Flormata to help co-captain Tioseco inside.

The team topped the four-nation first PSC-SBP Discovery Women’s Invitational Cup in Bacolod City last month, its lone tune-up for the SEAG after missing the 2011 Fiba Asia Championship for Women last August.

Over at the men’s side, Sinag Pilipinas is fancied to steamroll the opposition.

The Norman Black-mentored squad is tipped to top Group A where it is slated to play Cambodia on Nov. 14, Vietnam on Nov. 15 and Thailand on Nov. 16 before the crossover semis and gold medal match.

Black said Sinag made a change in personnel recently after organizers told them it was too late to insert Dave Marcelo in its lineup.

They thus reactivated Justin Chua, who joined Greg Slaughter, Jake Pascual, Chris Ellis, Garvo Lanete, Emman Monfort, Chris Tiu, Cliff Hodge, Bobby Ray Parks, RR Garcia, Kiefer Ravena, Nico Salva, Jeric Fortuna and Jeric Teng in the 14-man pool.

The cagers and cagebelles were among the SEAG-bound athletes from various sports who received cheers from well-wishers led by Vice President Jejomar Binay.