Pola Pilipinas RPG snares TAT crown in Passi

MANILA, Philippines —  Pola Pilipinas RPG picked up the pieces from its winless campaign in the opening leg of The Asian Tournament, ruling the Passi edition with a pulsating 72-69 victory over the Taiwan Mustangs Monday.

Jayvee dela Cruz nailed a clutch triple off a nice kick-out pass from Jose Nouchanthavong to give the Philippine representative a 70-66 lead with 47.5 seconds left – much to the delight of the packed crowd inside the City of Passi Arena.

Nouchanthavong led the way for the JR Cawaling-mentored Pola Pilipinas with 18 points, including the two pressure-packed free throws that kept the pesky Taiwan Mustangs at bay in the waning seconds.

He was ably supported by Xavier Alexander who posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds while Henry Iloka and Joseph Obasa added 12 apiece.