RP Lifan bows to US Fukien five

HONG KONG–RP Lifan-FedEx ran smack into a cohesive USA Fukien team Tuesday night, absorbing a 91-70 loss at the start of the 13th Super Kung Sheung Cup at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium here.

The Filipinos were in the fight up to the last five minutes, 66-62, only to lose steam and lapse into errors that enabled the taller, younger Chinese-Americans to drop a 25-8 bomb and pull away.

With the loss, RP-Lifan FedEx needs to beat Japan-Kagoshima at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Singapore at 7 p.m. Thursday to make it as Group B semifinalist of the eight-nation tournament.

"We can’t do anything about it (loss) anymore. Let’s learn from our mistakes and focus on the games ahead," national coach Johny Tam told the players inside the dugout. "This should serve as a wake-up call."

John Ferriols, scoring mostly from inside the paint, led the Filipinos with 20 points, while FedEx teammate Ren Ren Ritualo added 14 despite the double-team clamped on him in the second half.

Wynne Arboleda, also of FedEx, chipped in 10 points for the team backed by Lifan Motorcycles and FedEx with assistance from Burlington, Accel and Cebuana Lhuillier.

USA Fukien, with an average age of 23, drew 21 points from 6-foot-8 Kiang Kyle James, who presided over the Americans overwhelming 44-22 edge in rebounds.

The Filipinos, hampered by slow ball movement, committed 20 turnovers as against the Americans’ 11.

Other inaugural games saw Malaysia beat Thailand, 85-75, and defending champion Hong Kong rout Vietnam in Group A. Singapre tripped Japan-Kagoshima in another Group B tussle.

Sensing that the Filipinos, who also count on team captain Jerry Codinera, Ranideld e Ocampo and Ryan Bernardo, were burned out by their 12-day training before coming here, Tam cancelled practice Wednesday morning.

Sparked by Rituialo’s triple, the Filipinos led, 30-21, early in the second quarter before allowing the Americans to take the half, 40-38.

The scores:

USA Fukien 91 — James 21, Song 17, Kyun 12, Larry 11, Daniel 8, Maki 8, Yu 6, Nakanishi 4, Krose 2.

RP Lifan-FedEx 70 — Ferriols 20, Ritualo 14, Arboleda 10, De Ocampo 9, Ricafuente 8, Bernardo 5, Ricafuente 8, Codinera 2, Alcanta 2.

Quarters: 17-19, 40-38, 57-54, 91-70.