Romanians turn back Pinoy cagers

MANILA, Philippines - Romania used its height and heft advantage to the hilt and waylaid the Philippines, 106-58, at the start of the basketball competitions in the 27th Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia Sunday.

The Romanians went on a scoring spree right in the first period, piling up 22 points while holding the Filipinos to just eight on their way to several 30-point spreads in the third en route to a whopping 48-point rout.

The Filipinos, represented by nine-time Cebu School athletic Doundatio, Inc. (CESAFI) champion University of the Visayas, kept the game close only in the early minutes of the contest behind a couple of impressive plays before falling apart in the face of the Romanians’ dominating game on both ends behind their outside shooting and inside presence.

John Michael Abad still scored 18 points, Vincent Mendoza had 13 while Hernan Escosio added 10 markers for the Filipinos.

Six players, led by Adrian Gutoaia and Roland Torok, scored in double figures for the Romanians. Gutoaia and Torok scored 15 points for the Romanians.

In other results, two-time champion Serbia demolished Mongolia, 110-56, and Mexico outsteadied Japan, 93-81, to join Romania in the early lead.