Sinag built for SEAG gold rush; Perlas cops 2nd

NAY PYI TAW – A team built to run the opposition to the ground.

That was how head coach Jong Uichico described his Sinag Pilipinas squad that formally grabbed the men’s basketball gold medal Monday in the 27th SEA Games here.

Perlas Pilipinas wound up the country’s campaign with a 80-31 romp over winless Myanmar, salvaging the silver behind Thailand.

The Thais handily beat Indonesia, 66-52, to pull off their own four-game sweep of the five-team tournament and claim a third crown in all.

Sinag’s achievement definitely stands out more.

The Filipinos emerged from the seven-team, single round competition as the only unbeaten crew, their 16th title run in this biennial meet highlighted by an average winning margin of 38.2 points.

“Aside from talent, we have a deep bench and that’s really our advantage here since most could only boast of starters,” said Uichico following the event’s closing ceremonies at the Zayar Thiri Indoor Stadium.

“We can even have a platoon substitution and still keep the level of play. They can keep on going until the other side breaks down,” added Uichico.

What makes the romp more notable is the fact it was fashioned without a legitimate center aside from Marcus Douthit.

So Uichico settled for the next best thing. “We had to try quickness on both ends, score in transition and pressure them no end,” he stated.

Even the shaky 88-75 win over Singapore that launched Sinag’s campaign helped as Uichico give his charges a tongue-lashing following a performance he blamed on complacency.

“It seems they took those words, that we cannot take anyone in this tournament for granted and we should always play the same way no matter who the opponent, to heart,” said Uichico.

The Filipino cagers then routed Cambodia, 107-57, and Myanmar, 118-43, before drawing another real test in perennial challenger Thailand.

Whatever concerns Uichico may have had immediately vanished when his charges raced to a 29-17 first quarter lead, stretched that to 54-33 at the turn, went into the fourth with an 85-42 spread and cruised to a 100-68 win.

 â€œThey defended well and really played well,” noted Uichico. “That was the real gauge, not the games against Cambodia and Myanmar.”

An 83-52 win over Indonesia, followed by an 84-56 manhandling of Malaysia wound up the Sinag campaign.

Looking back, Uichico can’t help but also point out another factor that worked in their favor.

“We kept on reminding them that we are unbeatable here and that became a challenge to them,” he said.