Nokia U-18 stops skid, routs Japan

MANILA, Philippines - The Nokia RP U-18 team bounced back from two stinging losses and routed Japan, 75-57, to boost its quarterfinal bid in the 21st FIBA Asia U-18 Championship at the 22nd May Arena in Sana’s, Yemen Sunday.

The Filipinos broke the game wide open with a 25-8 run midway in the contest as they coasted to the victory, their second against the same number of wins, while dealing the Japanese their first loss after three straight wins.

China still lords it over Group F with a 3-0 mark.

The Philippines was scheduled to battle winless Iraq at 4 p.m. (Manila time) yesterday as it tries to stay in third, ahead of Yemen (2-1). The top four teams will advance to the quarterfinals, a knockout stage, against the four qualifiers from Group E.

Heading the field in the other group are Korea (3-1), Iran (3-1) and Lebanon (2-1), while the last slot is still a tossup between Kazakshtan and Chinese-Taipei.

Kiefer Ravena topscored for the Philippines with 18 points while Raphael Banal fired three triples and wound up with 14 points as the team shot 45 percent from there (9 of 20 tries) while hitting 31 of 58 shots from the field.

“It was good those shots went in early in the game,” coach Eric Altamirano said. “I’m proud with the way the boys began with speed, especially after two tiring games (against China and Yemen, both of which Philippines lost).”

“What made me really pleased was the way we kept our intensity,” he said.

The Filipinos were hanging to a 32-25 lead in the first five minutes of the second quarter when Ravena scored back-to-back baskets in the paint to key the run, capped by Von Pessumal’s three-pointer for a 16-point lead at the turn.

With Ravena, Jeth Rosario and Cris Toloma scoring at will, the Philippines raced away with a 55-33 lead, their biggest in the game. Seiya Ando scored a game-high 22 points for Japan.

“I liked the way we dominated the game, considering that it was really close last time around,” said Altamirano, whose team only defeated the same Japan team, 64-59, in the last year’s FIBA Asia U16 Championship at Johor Bahru.

The tournament offers three tickets to the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship to be played in Latvia next year.