By REYNALD MAGALLON
The Gilas Pilipinas Boys team won the FIBA U16 Men’s Championship SEABA qualifiers undefeated, capping their dominance with a 77-65 conquest of host Indonesia at the GOR Kertajaya in Surabaya, Indonesia on Wednesday, July 19.
The Nationals were untouchable in the four-team event, sweeping the tournament with an average winning margin of 30 points although the match against the hosts and in front of an hostile crowd posed some challenge the Filipinos did not face in the first two games.
The wards of head coach Josh Reyes actually had to buck a slow start as they trailed at the end of the opening frame, 16-21, for the first time in the tournament.
The Filipinos got their bearings going in the second quarter to take a six point lead, 38-32, before finally imposing their defensive will against the Indonesians in the final two quarters to establish a lead that went to as high as 20 points.
Spearheading Gilas’ vaunted offense was Kiefer Alas who, after sizzling for 27 and 18 in the first two games, closed out the tournament with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds.
He was backstopped by CJ Amos who had 14 points spiked by four triples. Kurt Nathan Velasquez also added 14 while Bonn Ervin Daja manned the paint well with 14 rebounds – eight of which from the offensive end – on top of his 9 points.
