SEOUL, South Korea – For the second straight game, Harbour Centre-Philippine team leaned on its torrid outside shooting to bomb US Army, 102-88, during a friendly game Saturday at the US Army Base gym in Hanyang here.
Former Far Eastern University hotshot Jeff Chan presided over the team’s juggernaut, scoring the first 10 points of the game as the Nationals, training here for the 24th SEA Games in Thailand this December, led from start to finish for their second straight win in three games.
In a brilliant show of offensive might, the Nationals scored 15 triples with former Hapee Toothpaste standout Allan Salangsang knocking in four, most of them in the final half that kept the Armymen –some of them playing in the USNCAA – at bay.
“So far we’re improving a lot, the flow of our offense and even our defensive rotation are improving,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “Our shooters need to gain more confidence in time for the SEA Games.”
The win was a fitting follow-up to their 91-76 drubbing of Yonsei University Friday where little dynamo Boyet Bautista made a starring role.
This time, the 5-foot-7 Bautista was limited to just a triple and a drive but his hustle and quickness earned him raves from the Fil-Am servicemen who rooted for the Nationals right from the start.
Salangsang topscored for the RP side with 16 points while Chan chipped in 14, including three triples. Jonathan Fernandez had also three triples to end up with 13 points.
Erick Dela Cuesta, the most veteran in the team, and Adamson star Patrick Cabahug had two triples to highlight the Nationals‚ dominating performance.
Big men Alex Crisano (6-foot-7), Beau Belga (6-foot-6) and Jervy Cruz (6-foot-5) gallantly held their ground against well-conditioned Armymen to the delight of coaches Junel Baculi and Louie Alas.
„They were given a hard time down low but I have to credit them for not backing off,‰ said Baculi. „They showed they can now play against taller rivals in the SEA Games.‰
The Americans were still in the thick of the game until the Nationals, led by Eugene Tan, Chan, Salangsang, Belga and Chad Alonzo employed a trapping defense which caught their rivals by surprise. And this led to their several turnovers, thus allowing the Nationals to pull away for good.
The Nationals are scheduled to clash with Filipino migrants Sunday, hoping to provide entertainment to the Filipino community.