The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Philippine national men’s basketball team composed mostly of cadet players from collegiate basketball thrashed host Singapore, 82-56, to complete its dominant run that gave it the 2015 Seaba Championship gold medal at OCBC Arena.
It was the seventh Seaba title for the Philippines, which stamped its class anew as the the top basketball team in the region.
Sinag Pilipinas toyed with all of its opponents, winning by an average margin of 68.4 points en route to a perfect 5-0 record in the tournament.
Naturalized center Marcus Douthit, who played a supporting role in the team’s past games, lorded the paint against smaller opponents for 16 points and seven rebounds.
Kiefer Ravena added 15 points while Jiovanie Jalalon finsihed with 12 points on perfect shooting (four-of-four field goals, four-of-four free throws) to go along with four assists.
Unlike in its past games, Sinag Pilipinas had a slow start before pulling away late. The Filipinos exchanged baskets with the Singaporeans early in the first quarter, with the hosts even taking a 9-8 lead at the fifth minute after free throws by Wei Long Wong.
But Jiovani Jalalon nailed a jumper, then Marcus Douthit completed an and-one to ignite an 18-10 run that put the Filipinos ahead, 26-19, after the first quarter.
The Filipinos never looked back and eventually took a 21-point halftime lead, 51-30, which they extended to 33, 65-32, in the third quarter.
The Singaporeans trimmed it to 28, 75-47, entering the final frame where both teams failed to score double digits. But that didn’t stop the Filipinos from running away with the gold.
The title earned the Filipinos a ticket to the Fiba Asia Championship in China this September. They will be joined by Malaysia and Singapore in the tournament that serves as a qualifier for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.