UV cagers lose to Japan, Mongolia, bow out of Universiade

KAZAN, Russia -- Two more setbacks by Team Philippines in men’s basketball ended the country’s hopes to make it to the next round in the 27th Summer Universiade at the Basket Hall here Thursday.

Represented by nine-time Cebu champion University of the Visayas, the Filipinos absorbed a disappointing 51-93  loss to Japan and 79-92 setback to Mongolia to bow out of contention with four straight losses in the six-team Group B.

The Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP)-supported Filipinos also bowed to Romania,  58-106, last July 7 and two-time champion Serbia, 44-125.

The Filipinos close out their campaign with a game against Mexico (2-2) starting at 8:30 p.m.. Friday (12:30 a.m. Saturday, Manila time).

“The players tried their best but our foreign counterparts are really very tall and strong,”said Philippine-UV coach Felix Belano.

“This is a good learning experience for the players and the team as a whole when we return home to Cebu. Playing in the Universiade gives the boys the necessary foreign exposure, which could only make them better.

Belano thanked FESSAP and sponsors San Miguel Corp., Agri-Nurture Inc., Healthy Options, Bestank and Cobra Energy Drink for giving UV the oppportunity to play in the Universiade

Against Japan, the Filipinos tried to run and gun to negate the Japanese’s tall frontline and managed to keep the game interesting  in the opening quarter

But the Japanese slowly pulled away in the second and third periods behind the outside shooting of 6-3 Shoichiro Fujitaka and the inside dominance of 6-6 Yuya Nagayoshi and 6-8 Kosuke Hashimoto.

A crippling 31-11 finish by Japan in the fourth even when everything was settled, allowed the Japanese to win by huge margin.