Nationals Fall
Sunstar-Cebu
THE M. LHUILLIER-Cebu Niños showed the stuff they are made of, sweeping the younger and taller Smart-Gilas Pilipinas Team with an 82-76 come-from-behind victory in the friendly match the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas set up last Saturday night at the University of San Carlos Gym.
The Nationals, who were playing without three key players Chris Tiu, Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Ryan Buenafe, were leading most of the time only to break down into pieces in the waning moments of the game.
The Niños did not buckle down when they were down by 11 points, 41-52, early in the third quarter. Instead, they mobilized their veterans to pull a 19-5 run to take the lead for the first time, 60-57, with 2:40 left to play in the third.
It was also their veteran smarts that clamped down the offense of the Nationals when the Niños were trailing, 64-70, early in the fourth.
“We used varied defensive patterns that left their point guard scrambling for the answer. But honestly, this RP squad has a lot of potentials. They are good, they have the skills and they are young,” said Niños coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba after the game.
Veterans
Stephen Padilla keyed on the Niños mighty comeback in the third as he drilled three of his five triples that got the Niños to the driver’s seat.
What was amusing in that stretch was when Alcoseba sent all five former pro players inside the court and at the same time they were playing without a legitimate pointguard.
However, the lead was quickly regained by the Nationals as Aldrich Ramos quickly scored two baskets and Jay-R Cawaling scored on a fast break to give Smart-Gilas a 63-60 lead before the quarter ended with Jercules Tangkay scoring on a put-back.
Cawaling and spitfire Marck Barocca scored back-to-back triples and 7-footer Gregg Slaughter split his free throws and gave the Nationals the 70-64 lead, still with 7:55 left to play.
From there, it was all uphill for the Nationals as the Niños used their experience and veteran smarts to hold the opponents without a field goal for the five minutes and 50 seconds.
Embattled
While the Niños made a living from the free throw line, Barocca was the lone player of the Nationals to score in the final 3:48 of the game.
Helping the Niños battle the inside was Ariel Mepaña who has slowly regained his confidence. Mepaña scored 16 while Woodrow Enriquez and Bruce Dacia added 14 points each and Marlon Basco finished with 10 markers.
Barocca topped the RP squad with 19, Mac Baracael added 15, JV Casio and Cawaling had 11 points each and Ramos, who has Cebuano parents, added 10. (RCM)
....mac baracael...is he playing for burger king saPBA?
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