MEDAN, Indonesia: Winning is not the only barometer in which success is measured.
Team Pilipinas ripped Indonesia apart for the second time in three nights last night, a 98-68 victory giving the Filipinos the Southeast Asian Basketball Association championship, but more importantly, reminding every member of the team that there’s still a lot of work to be done. The Filipinos steadily wriggled out of a surprisingly tight championship match, pouring on the heat at the start of the third period despite very bad officiating that failed to get the job done for the hosts. In fact, the Filipinos even trailed, the last at 12-14 late in the first period as the referees, especially one from Hong Kong who was supposed to be the neutral official. did a good job in not allowing the eventual champions to get in synch because of a bunch of silly calls. The score was even tied after the first 10 minutes at 22, with the Philippine team hitting penalty very early which resulted in precious free throws for Indonesia, represented in the tournament by Garuda Plexi, the country’s No. 2 commercial team. But like in the way they did Sunday in their first meeting in the eliminations, the Filipinos plodded along and played through the conditions to end their stint in this progressive island unbeaten and still the king of the region. Five players scored in twin digits for the Filipinos, with Cyrus Baguio, who went for a tournament-high 28 against Singapore on Monday, and James Yap sharing honors with 14 apiece. The Philippines ripped the Singaporeans in a no-bearing match Friday, with Baguio hitting 10-of-14 shots, though RP coaching staff bemoaned the fact that their smaller foes were able to run against the Filipinos all game. "From the first time we played, up to now, we have improved," firebrand national coach Yeng Guiao said moments after the match witnessed by a hostile Indonesian crowd at the small and over-hot Angkasapura Lanud Hall in this provincial island.
The Philippine squad, built for the single purpose of securing at least a third place finish in the Fiba-Asia World Basketball Qualifying in China in two months, wound up with a 4-0 slate here, destroying every foe on the other end of the floor. But facing this same kind of inferior opposition won’t happen again for the rest of the way going to Tianjin province in August. Next stop for the Filipinos would be the Jones Cup, an invitational tournament in Taipei where the opposition will be at least five times tougher with a team made up of collegiate stars and the NBA’s Developmental league also seeing action for the United States.
The Philippines won the Jones Cup twice before, first against the US team in 1985 with a squad reinforced by three naturalized citizens and coached by the great Ron Jacobs.
Another title romp came 13 years later, when the Centennial Team made up of PBA superstars and guided by Tim Cone upset a truly class field.
James Yap of Purefoods believes that more than winning the Seaba, playing here would serve the members of the team in good stead because they found the time to get to know more of each other on and off the floor.
"We got the chance to bond with each other," Yap, who won the PBA MVP two seasons ago, said. "We just hope that we can apply what we’ve learned when we go to Taipei for the Jones Cup.
"Our lapses (in the Seaba) were caused mostly by unfamiliarity with each other."
