The Gilas cadets broke no sweat at all after destroying a hapless Laos side, 124-37 Tuesday at the OCBC Arena in Singapore to pick up their second win in the 2015 SEABA Championship.
Following a strong 92-36 blowout of Indonesia on opening day, the Philippines fired a crippling 28-2 blast as a result of solid ball movement to put away Laos for good early.
The lead ballooned to 69-9 at halftime with the Gilas cadets shooting above 50 percent while their counterparts having an atrocious night from the field, firing only 3-for-36 in the first two quarters.
The dry spell continued for Laos as the Philippines dropped a 14-0 bomb to open the third quarter. The team mentored by Nash Racela would eventually let Laos pick up its stride after the team scored 28 in the second half with the game already settled save for the final score.
Five Gilas cadets scored in double digits led by Troy Rosario’s 19 points and 6 rebounds. Jio Jalalon, one of the best backcourt players in college basketball, dished out an impressive all-around effort of 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals.
Ray Parks followed his stellar debut yesterday with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists while Kevin Ferrer and Russell Escoto chipped in 16 points apiece.
The Philippines shot 56-for-96 from the field overall and assisted 35 of its made field goals. They would also score 34 points off 26 Laos turnovers and pounded the paint with 100 points scored inside the shaded area.
Marcus Douthit also enjoyed rest as he was not fielded in.
The SEABA tournament serves as a qualifer for the FIBA Asia Championship. The 2015 edition will be held in China later this year.
The Philippines last won the SEABA title in 2011 although skipped the tournament in 2013 as the country was already hosting the FIBA Asia tilt.
The Scores:
Philippines (124) – Rosario 19, Parks 18, Ferrer 16, Escoto 16, Jalalon 12, Belo 9, Ravena 9, Khobuntin 8, Vosotros 8, Thompson 7, Torres 2.
Laos (37) – Labouaphieng 11, Sonenalad 7, Lattana 4, Phongphoumy 4, Phommasone 3, Phengyalath 3, Lothalath 3, Phannolath 2, Senekeo 0, Sounthala 0.
