The Philippines U18 national team used a strong third quarter performance to break away from a feisty Malaysia crew and win, 87-68, Monday in the SEABA U18 Championship in Medan, Indonesia.
Batang Gilas outscored Malaysia, 20-12, in the third quarter to buck a slow start and eventually pull away to remain unbeaten in the tournament with three wins.
The Philippines trailed at the end of the first quarter, 24-22, before recovering their bearings in the next period to enter halftime armed with a 46-40 advantage.
Jonas Tibayan then sparked a 9-0 run to open the third quarter, as the Batang Gilas increased their lead to 55-40 and never looked back.
Gian Mamuyac led the nationals with 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists, shooting 8-for-13 from the floor. Joshua Sinclair added 14 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Tibayan added 11 points and eight boards.
Although Batang Gilas shot poorly from three-point land at 9-for-33 compared to their first two wins, the team made up for it with a 64-43 advantage in rebounding. The team also had 25 second chance points and 20 assists in the win.
The Scores:
Philippines (87) – Mamuyac 18, Sinclair 14, Tibayan 11, Lee 9, Bahio 8, Nelle 8, Yu 8, Flores 6, Mendoza 5.
Malaysia (68) – Soong 22, Rosli 10, Lee 8, Wong 7, Siew 6, Liew 5, Chin 3, Heng 2, Tan 2, Lim 2, Thea 1.
Quarterscores: 22-24, 46-40, 66-52, 87-68.
