Mighty Sports-Philippines surpassed its toughest test yet on Sunday night, holding off defending Lebanon Basketball League champions Homenetmen, 96-89, for its third straight victory in the 30th Dubai International Basketball Championships at the Shabab Al Ahli gymnasium here.
Sweet-shooting big man Randolph Morris and in-form Justin Brownlee delivered their usual numbers for the team. Meanwhile, Fil-Am wingman Jeremiah Gray provided an immense boost off the bench, as Mighty Sports virtually secured the top seeding in Group A and proved it is for real in the 10-team tournament.
The 6-foot-10 Morris, armed with a feathery touch from the perimeter, accounted for a team-high-tying 24 points, 15 of them coming in the opening half. On the other hand, Brownlee sustained his fiery form with his second straight double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, on top of seven assists and two steals.
Not to be outshone was Gray, who emerged as the biggest revelation offensively. He knocked down 24 points, spiked by three triples, while adding eight rebounds and three assists in what could be considered as his coming-out party, much to the delight of the raucous Filipino crowd.
But more than the numbers, Mighty Sports coach Charles Tiu admitted he’s more pleased to see how his wards showed steely nerves down the stretch in the face of the Homenetmen’s gritty rally, led by irrepressible guard Walter Hodge, who finished with 42 points.
“We’re a young team and we haven’t been together for so long, but I like the composure they showed,” he said. “That’s why in some stretches when they (Lebanese) made a run, I just let them play.
“I want them to grow up probably in this game. And in a tournament like this, we’re gonna face these situations like this, so we really have to know how to win. It’s a good test for us,” he added.
Indeed. The accessories and apparel team – backed by SMDC, HealthCube Medical Clinics, Go for Gold, and Oriental Game – also avenged its 100-93 loss to Homenetmen two years ago and put itself in a strong position for a top finish in Group A.
Backcourt standouts Jason Brickman (10 points and five assists); Juan Gomez de Liano (11 points); and Roosevelt Adason (eight points and five rebounds) also did their fair share for Mighty Sports. The Philippine team will take a one-day breather before returning to action against Al Wahda-Syria for its final preliminary round match on Tuesday at 9 p.m. (1 a.m. Wednesday, Manila time).
“That Syrian is also strong and they’re actually solid. They’re a pretty good team and they’re like this Lebanese team,” Tiu warned. “So you really can’t say that even though we beat this Lebanese team, we will gonna steamroll past them. We have to respect them and play well as we can.”
So far, the Filipino cagers have showcased fluid offense and relatively solid defense. Gray tallied 14 points in the first two periods to complement the consistent performances of Morris and Brownlee.
Mighty Sports led by as many as 16 points in the third period, and appeared on the way for an easy windup. But the Lebanese side refused to roll over and die, pulling the closest at three—89-92—off Chris Johnson’s two made freebies with 58.8 seconds left.
“I credit all the players. I’m just telling them simple instructions and they know what to do,” added Tiu. “I thought Jeremiah stepped up big and Jason really did a good job. Those two guys, and the usual, Morris, Brownlee, they’re consistent.”
Mighty Sports looks to sweep Group A when it faces Syrian club team Al Wahda on Wednesday, February 5 at 1:00am.
The Scores:
Mighty Sports 96 – Morris 24, Gray 24, Brownlee 19, Gomez de Liaño 11, Brickman 10, Adams 8, Odom 0, Manuel 0, Gutang 0, Santillan 0, Banal 0, Rike 0.
Homenetmen 89 – Hodge 42, Rustom 11, Edevbesha 11, Johnson 10, Aboud 8, Ziada 5, Hadidan 2, Zeinoun 0, Estafan 0, Ketenjian 0
Quarterscores: 25-18, 51-44, 77-63, 96-89.
