Energen Phl youth trounces S'pore 5

MANILA, Philippines - Energen Pilipinas held on in the clutch to repulse Singapore, 75-63, and notch its second straight victory in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Under-18 Championship in Singapore Thursday night.

J-Jay Alejandro, who skippered Energen to a semifinal finish in the FIBA-Asia Under-16 in Vietnam last year, scattered five of his 13 points in the last quarter to help secure the win for the Nationals.

With the win, the Filipinos virtually clinched one of the three berths staked in the weeklong tournament, a single-round robin format, in the FIBA-Asia Under-18 Championship slated Aug. 17-26 in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

The Filipinos kicked off their campaign with a 124-28 rout of Laos the other day.

Handled by former PBA star Olsen Racela, Energen Pilipinas shoots for its third straight win against Malaysia Friday and will take on fancied Indonesia today.

The Filipinos failed to shake off the hosts heading to the fourth period, leading by just three points before Alejandro sparked a decisive run.

Delvin Goh, who played for the Singapore Slingers in the ASEAN Basketball League, played an all-around game with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Energen squad is composed of the best Under-18 players in the country, most of which came from the NCAA and UAAP.