Jeff Viernes did not have the Malaysia national team debut he wanted as the Malaysians were drubbed by Thailand, 78-103, in Group D of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Pre-Qualifiers, Thursday at UG Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Viernes took over the Malaysian program early this year.
It was a dominant win for the Thais, who have Eduard Torres as head coach.
Leading the way was Freddie Lish, who got 29 points on seven treys to go with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
Nakorn Jaisanuk added 14 points while Manatsawee Booddoung added 10 points and six assists as all players fielded by Torres scored in the contest.
Yi Hou Wong paced Malaysia with 19 points and nine rebounds while Chun Hong Ting added 17 markers.
Malaysia will next face Mongolia tomorrow.
