Energen Pilipinas rips Lebanon, tries to salvage 5th place
MANILA, Philippines -- Energen Pilipinas limped back from its heartbreaking quarterfinal loss to South Korea the night before by venting its ire on Lebanon with an 80-69 win in the consolation round of the 22nd FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship at the Buyant Ukhaa Arena in Ulan Bator, Mongolia on Saturday.
With their semifinal hopes dashed by a stinging 77-90 setback to the Koreans Friday night, the Filipinos kept their composure and turned it into positive energy as they dominated the Lebanese from start to finish to arrange a duel for fifth place with Chinese Taipei, the same team the former beat in the second round.
The Filipinos not only are looking to repeat over the Taiawanese, who lost to the Japanese in their quarters duel, today but they also aim to match their predecessors' fifth place in the last Asia U-18 tilt in Sana’A, Yemen.
Mario Bonleon, a La Salle-Greenhills standout, led Energen with 19 points on an impressive eight-of-16 shooting clip on his return since missing three straight games due to a sprained ankle.
Rey Nambatac, the reigning NCAA high school MVP, scattered 12 points while co-skipper Rodolfo Alejandro chipped in 10 to help the Filipinos snare this win.
The win came as a soothing balm to the Nationals' grieving hearts brought by their quarters' defeat to the Koreans.
And they did it without their best big man in Jay Javelosa, who practically bled in the against taller, bigger frontcourt foes in the group stages before his body broke down and got injured in the first half of the Korea game.
That loss zapped the hopes of the Nationals, who swept the SEABA U-18 in Singapore last month to clinch a berth here, in nailing one of the three berths in the 2013 FIBA World Under-19 Championship in Prague, Czech Republic.
Beating Chinese Taipei, which lost to Energen but wound up finishing second going into the playoffs that set the latter up against the taller, bigger Korean side, though for fifth place will not be that bad considering the country has brought an undersized team.
With their semifinal hopes dashed by a stinging 77-90 setback to the Koreans Friday night, the Filipinos kept their composure and turned it into positive energy as they dominated the Lebanese from start to finish to arrange a duel for fifth place with Chinese Taipei, the same team the former beat in the second round.
The Filipinos not only are looking to repeat over the Taiawanese, who lost to the Japanese in their quarters duel, today but they also aim to match their predecessors' fifth place in the last Asia U-18 tilt in Sana’A, Yemen.
Mario Bonleon, a La Salle-Greenhills standout, led Energen with 19 points on an impressive eight-of-16 shooting clip on his return since missing three straight games due to a sprained ankle.
Rey Nambatac, the reigning NCAA high school MVP, scattered 12 points while co-skipper Rodolfo Alejandro chipped in 10 to help the Filipinos snare this win.
The win came as a soothing balm to the Nationals' grieving hearts brought by their quarters' defeat to the Koreans.
And they did it without their best big man in Jay Javelosa, who practically bled in the against taller, bigger frontcourt foes in the group stages before his body broke down and got injured in the first half of the Korea game.
That loss zapped the hopes of the Nationals, who swept the SEABA U-18 in Singapore last month to clinch a berth here, in nailing one of the three berths in the 2013 FIBA World Under-19 Championship in Prague, Czech Republic.
Beating Chinese Taipei, which lost to Energen but wound up finishing second going into the playoffs that set the latter up against the taller, bigger Korean side, though for fifth place will not be that bad considering the country has brought an undersized team.
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