Cagers smother Puerto Ricans, finish 9th

SINGAPORE – The Philippines capped its remarkable, if late surge in the 3-on-3 basketball competitions of the first Youth Olympic Games, dominating Puerto Rico majority of the way to essay an abbreviated 34-23 victory and claim ninth place honors before a big, appreciative Monday crowd at the Scape Youth Space court here.

Bobby Ray Parks completed a quick three-point play to startle the Puerto Ricans at the start of the two five-minute periods, then dished off a perfect assist to a cutting Jeron Teng, who drove off two defenders for the clincher with still 34.7 seconds left in the contest.

But that was enough to close out the match as the RP cagers went over the 33-point limit for the win that clinched them ninth place among 20 countries that took part in this inaugural staging of the games for athletes in the 14-18 years old bracket.

It was actually Team RP’s fourth straight win, a big rebound from a shaky start that saw the RP cagers lose their first three games – and the chance to go for a crack at the championship.

Still, Parks, Teng, Cris Tolomia and Michael Pate proved their worth, blasting Central African Republic, 22-13, and running the taller Iranians to the ground, 28-19, before whipping the Puerto Ricans in the post-elims phase.

The 6-5 Parks showed he could be RP’s future star as he put in a solid performance of 13 points, highlighted by a triple from way out in the first period and a series of swift penetrations reminiscent of his father and former seven-time PBA best import Bobby Parks’ moves.

He fouled out in the final minute but not after scoring on his last drive and giving RP a nine-point cushion at 32-23.

Pate also came through with probably his best game in the tournament of eight points, spiked by two triples, the first ending the opening period at 20-15 and the other at the onset of the next that held off the Puerto Ricans at 23-15.

Tolomia had his shining moments too in a five-minute stint on the floor, including baseline drive against Abdiel Badillo for a double-pump, undergoal stab that drew out roars from the crowd. He finished with six points.

Teng, on the other hand, was in his usual form while checking in and out for Tolomia or Pate, delivering the points with his spin moves and power plays while providing the tough defense that stymied the Puerto Ricans’ offense.

The Pinoy cagers also overcame poor free throw shooting (5-of-11) with superb teamwork and solid defense, challenging almost all of their rivals’ shots from close range while helping out in rebounds and loose ball situations.

The win also closed out the nine-man RP team’s participation in this inaugural meet where the Filipino youths failed to gain a medal after barely missing out in taekwondo through Kirk Barbosa.

But RP chef de mission Mark Joseph said the Pinoy dribblers finish should make everybody proud back home.

“Sometimes making an impact is enough,” said Joseph. “We came here operating on logic that we could effect the opponents put before us and simply put, we took our chance.

He added: “Folks back home need a cause, some reason to hit out of our usual apathetic drift. Our youth Olympic athletes carry an irresistible energy with them demanding that we Filipinos look at them. In reality, our team came in anonymity but made an impact and left a memory. Sometimes, just that is enough.”

Meanwhile, Greece, which lost to Greece in the semis in three overtimes, blasted the United States, 34-25, to clinch third place honors while Lithuania thwarted Israel, 28-24, to finish fifth. Argentina outplayed Spain, 23-13, in their battle for seventh.