Philippines U21 ends tournament on a high note, blasting China U21, 148-106 (81117)Oslo, Norway -- Philippines U21 started the game with guns blazing as they raced to an early 42-22 lead over China U21 after the first quarter, and later on gave the Filipinos a very comfortable cushion after the first half with a 32-point lead, 78-46. Eventually, Philippines U21 claimed the win, 148-106, with China U21 seemingly having no answer to Philippines U21's balanced attack.
Cornelio Porminal was Philipines U21's best scorer in this game, efficiently scoring 30 points on 13 of 20 from the field. First-time starter,
Anthony Dejando, added 22 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
The 20-year-old bigs,
Bill Guerrero and
Feliciano Gaitano, made their marks in this game as well with double-doubles. Guerrero had 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Gaitano recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Philippines U21 also got decent contributions off the bench from
Raphael Duruelo and
Prime Guartero, chipping in 16 and 13 points, respectively.
It was business as usual for both
Benigno Sasabo and
Gabo Familar. Sasabo grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, with 9 points and 4 assists, while Familar was close to another triple-double with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists.
For China U21, they also got decent contributions from multiple players,with 6 players scoring in double-digits. They were led by
Zhang Shiwen and
Shen Baofeng, who each scored 21 points. Wei Yingde added 20 points off the bench, while
Qiao Zufeng and
Vitjun Nymadawa, scored 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Now we turn our attention to Philippines' Seniors National team. They lost yesterday against Taiwan NT, but they still have a chance to claim the top spot by defeating Lebanon NT on Monday. Please support our Seniors team.
As for the U21 team, there will be scrimmages in the next few weeks, featuring future Filipino U21 studs. That is also something to watch out as they prepare for the Asia Cup next season.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Points Leaders:Cornelio Porminal - 30 points
Anthony Dejando - 22 points
Bill Guerrero - 18 points
Rebounds Leaders:Benigno Sasabo - 16 rebounds
Ken Nicolas - 12 rebounds
Bill Guerrero - 10 rebounds
Feliciano Gaitano - 10 rebounds
Assists Leaders:Gabo Familar - 11 assists
Raphael Duruelo - 5 assists
Benigno Sasabo - 4 assists
- Leo