Gilas Cadets waylay Malaysia to open 2016 SEABA Cup

The Gilas Cadets got off to a rousing start in the 2016 SEABA Stankovic Cup as they waylaid Malaysia, on Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand.

Team captain Troy Rosario scored 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds in less than 19 minutes of action. Mac Belo added 16 points including two triples.

Mike Tolomia had 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists while fellow FEU Tamaraw teammate Raymar Jose contributed a near double-double of nine points and 15 rebounds.

Four straight points by Mac Belo in the opening period gave the the Philippines its first taste of a double-digit advantage, turning a slim 19-15 edge into a 29-17 lead.

Triples by Almond Vosotros and Von Pessumal later in the third quarter pushed the Gilas cadets’ cushion up to 77-54. The squad weren’t threatened after that point to cruise to its first win.

The Cadets had a 57-40 advantage in rebounding, which led to 21 second chance points compared to only 14 for Malaysia. The Philippines also drew 21 points from 18 Malaysia turnovers, and scored 24 more points in the paint.

The Philippines will next face Singapore on Tuesday, May 24.

The Scores:

Philippines (108) – Rosario 19, Belo 16, Tolomia 13, Ferrer 12, Jalalon 10, Jose 9, Pessumal 8, Vosotros 7, Pogoy 6, Escoto 4, Holmqvist 4, Tibayan 0.

Malaysia (84) – Wong 22, Ma 15, Kwaan 12, Gan 10, Kuek 8, Choo 6, Liaw 5, Yeo 4, Teo 2, Ong 0, Mak 0, Chin 0.

Quarterscores: 29-20, 52-40, 78-60, 108-84.

Photo from MThai/Stankovic