RP-Iran game story

CONCLUSION OF JONES CUP

RP-IRAN GAME STORY

Team Standings

*Jordan 6-1

Iran 6-2

Lebanon 6-2

**Korea 5-2

**Taiwan 5-2

RP 2-6

Taiwan-B 2-6

*Kazakhstan 1-6

Japan 1-7

* - playing at press time

** - playing at press time

TAIPEI – A dwarfed Powerade-Team Pilipinas got a full measure of the height and depth of an Asian cage superpower Sunday after getting trampled by Iran, 85-60, at the close of the 31^st William Jones Cup tournament at the Hsinchuang gym.

A broken-down shot clock briefly delayed the inevitable as venue technicians worked feverishly for an hour to repair the problem.

But when it was done, so was the game.

The first meeting between the two teams since the 2007 FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship – an Olympic qualifying tournament – in Tokushima, Japan ended earlier than it last did.

While their previous encounter came down the wire before the Iranians, who went on to capture the title and qualify to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, prevailed, 75-69, the Nationals fell behind early this time, 14-7, and eventually got buried at the half, 51-23.

The second half avalanche that followed sealed a doomed climax for the RP team.

“Game was very easy, no problem,” said Iran coach Vaselin Matic.

Shrugging off a hit sustained from Ranidel de Ocampo that produced an angry bruise above his right eye, Iran’s 7-foot-3 behemoth Hamed Ehadadi, who had 19 points and 12 rebounds, parked his skyscraping frame in the paint and was the key to Iran’s complete dominance in every aspect of the mismatch.

With Serbian Rajko Toroman, who coached them in Tokushima, watching at sideline, the Iranians delivered an awesome performance that installed as a force to reckon with in the 25^th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship in Tianjin, China next month.

“We had no solution to their height advantage, we just couldn’t match up with their size,” said national coach Yeng Guiao.

The Nationals wrapped up its campaign with a 2-6 slate, good for sixth spot, three rungs lower than the third place finish of their 2007 predecessors.

In an earlier game, Japan, reduced to five players, including the veteran Takehiko Orimo, after the rest of the team succumbed to intestinal flu, fell to Taiwan-B, 97-91.

Food poisoning also claimed players from other teams, including Ehadadi who was brought to the hospital and was absent when host Taiwan stunned Iran, 80-76, Saturday.

With Iran’s second loss, Jordan, which walked out of its Thursday game with the Iranians in disgust over officiating, revived its bid for a third straight championship.

Lebanon, on the other hand, scuttled the hopes of South Korea after Matt Freije unloaded 39 points and hauled down 11 rebounds in a 97-79 rout.

The Jordanians (6-1) were to aim for the title against Kazakhstan after the RP-Iran game.

Meanwhile, the clock starts ticking for the injured Ryan Reyes and, conversely, for somebody from among the 12 that made it to the official lineup.

Guiao made it clear Saturday that it will be Reyes’ call – not Guiao’s – whether or not to reinsert him into the national team that will fly to Tianjin on Aug. 4.

Rules allow teams to alter the lineups they submitted Friday until three days before the tournament comes off the wraps on Aug. 6.

“If Ryan tells me he’s O.K. to play, then I’ll find a way for him,” said Guiao, who earlier named Reyes and Talk ‘N Text forward Ranidel de Ocampo as alternates.

Reyes, 25, who played for California State-Fullerton and was drafted third overall by the Sta. Lucia Realtors, pulled a hamstring muscle in his left thigh during the 8^th SEABA Men’s Championship in Medan last June and has been listed as day-to-day since.

“If I don’t feel I’m 90 percent healthy, then I’d rather not play because I don’t want to bring the team down,” said Reyes, who has an appointment with noted sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Raul Canlas after the RP team returns home Monday.

***

NOTES: “Tie A Yellow Ribbon,” the ‘70s pop hit by Tony Orlando and The Dawn and the unofficial anthem for former Sen. Benigno Aquino on his ill-fated arrival from Taiwan in 1983, was played during the pre-game introductions for the RP-Taiwan match Saturday…Organizers apparently found out the reason for the strips of yellow adhesives taped on the Philippine team’s uniforms and dug out the song from their music archives…Jordan’s Portuguese coach Mario Palma, whose decision to walk out of their game with Iran might have cost his team a third straight championship here, remains furious over the incident, branding it “a shame” and calling the two Taiwanese referees in that game “cowards.”...Grief befell the RP team before the Iran game when news reached the players that Wynne Arboleda's father had passed away.

Scores:

IRAN 85 – Ehadadi 19 Bahrami 18, Afagh 14, Tadjik 11, Kamrany 9, Sahakian 6, Amini 3, Davoudi 2, Davarpanah 2, Akbari 1, Doraghi 0, Davari 0.

RP 60 – Thoss 13, Baguio 12, Santos 9, Aguilar 7, Dillinger 5, De Ocampo 4, Raymundo 3, Miller 3, Taulava 2, Norwood 2.

Quarters: 25-12; 41-23; 74-43; 85-60

Cramming in Taiwan

Cramming in Taiwan


TAIPEI – For Powerade Team Pilipinas, the 31st Williams Jones Cup tournament represents a crash course on team bonding and preparation, a burning the midnight oil hour.

While teams like Lebanon and Iran are using the 9-team competition – held here annually in honor of the founding secretary-general of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) – to break in newly-acquired big men or wrap up year-long training, the Philippines is cramming inside 10 days 10 months worth of lessons.

“Without prolonged preparation, we’re trying to compress all the situations na puwede nating daanan sa Tianjin in this one tournament,” said national coach Yeng Guiao moments after the RP team blew a 19-point second quarter lead in losing to Japan Tuesday.

“We learn more from seeing the situation here,” Guiao added.

Other than a low level Southeast Asian Basketball Men’s Championship in Medan, Indonesia two months ago, the Nationals, tasked with securing a berth to the 2010 World Championship in Istanbul by finishing in the top three in next month’s 25th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship in China, have had absolutely no international experience.

They did play an overmatched team from Australia, two PBA selections and a group of American missionaries, but nothing beats getting slap around by Jordan, sneered at by host Chinese-Taipei, and having their hopes dashed by Japan.

Beating Kazakhstan, a team the country hasn’t had success with since Tim Cone’s RP-Centennial team back in 1998, lifted their spirits and Guiao believes the contrasting experience is nothing but enriching.

“In order to play a team better, one has to lose to them first in order to realize what needs to be done,” the fiery mentor rationalized.

“Situations like these give one the opportunity to see the character of the players. Kung sino ang puwede at di puwede.”

Guiao has said before that the Jones Cup is the “real test” and the FIBA Asia the “real thing” – and no test is preparing Team RP than wading in the waters of Taiwan with the best of Asia outside powerhouse China.

Lebanon, South Korea, Taiwan-B and Iran remain in the Nationals’ schedule and more tutorials abound in these games.

How to handle the veteran Fadi El-Khatib and naturalized player Jackson Vroman will be provided by the Lebanese national squad.

With the legendary Shin Dong Pa a fixture at sideline, the South Korean snipers will be looking to pick off the Nationals from every spot in the Hsinchuang gym.

And then there are the Iranians, formerly coached by Serbian Rajko Toroman, now with the Philippines’ developmental team.

Not only did they top the 24th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship in Tokushima in 2007 and go on to the Beijing Olympics the following year, they brought with them 7-foot-2 behemoth Hamed Ehadadi, who arrived Tuesday, to terrorize their remaining opponents in the Jones Cup and send a chilly message to their rivals in Tianjin.

The Philippines is bracketed with Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka in Group A in the FIBA Asia, with the top three teams moving up to the next round against the top three squads from Group B, comprised of Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Iran and Taiwan.

Getting past the first round should be a breeze, unless Sri Lanka, a cricket-playing nation, knows hoops as much as bats and wedges.

It is in the next round when the Uzbeks, Iranians and Taiwanese (unless the Kuwaitis have a say about it) come along that the lessons of Jones Cup 101 need to be applied.

As of now, the Nationals have four more classes to go.

Up next: Lebanese history. Professor El-Khatib awaits.

Taiwan beats RP, 86-77

THE Filipino community in Taipei cheers on Powerade-Team Pilipinas in its game against Taiwan in the 31st Jones Cup tournament (Photo by Tony LU)



JONES CUP
RP VS. TAIWAN

TEAM STANDINGS

Korea 2 0
Lebanon 2 0
Taiwan-A 2 0
Jordan 1 0
Iran 1 0
RP

0 2
Taiwan-B 0 2
Japan 0 2
Kazakhstan 0 2

Games Today
1 p.m. – Lebanon (2-0) vs. Jordan (1-0)
3 p.m. – RP (0-2) vs. Kazakhstan (0-2)
5 p.m. – Iran (1-0) vs. Korea (2-0)
7 p.m. – Taiwan A (2-0) vs. Taiwan B (0-2)


TAIPEI – Powerade-Team Pilipinas suffered a second straight loss in the 31st William Jones Cup tournament Sunday, an 86-77 heartbreaker to host Taiwan at the Hsinchuang gymnasium.

After a humiliating 31-point setback to defending champion Jordan Saturday, the Nationals rediscovered the passion and tenacity that were absent in the opener.

Coming back from 16 points down in the second half, Team RP leveled thrice in the final six minutes – 68-all on a vicious slam by Japeth Aguilar, 70-all on Wynne Arboleda’s driving layup, and 72-all on free throws by Kerby Raymundo with 3:01 to go.

Two successive traveling violations called on the Nationals after Arboleda’s basket denied them go-ahead opportunities, however, and the host regained their touch following the last deadlock.

Taiwan, which scored the game’s first 12 points and was up 30-14 after 10 minutes, strung nine straight points from there, highlighted by a corner 3-point shot from Yang Chin-Min to seal their second win and the Philippines’ consecutive defeat in the 9-team competition held in honor of the founding secretary-general of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

A 12-0 run keyed by 3-pointers from James Yap and Cyrus Baguio brought the Nationals within 62-60 with 2:04 left in the third quarter but they couldn’t muster the needed to energy to get past the gritty Taiwanese.

Two missed foul shots by Baguio down the stretch slammed the door on Team RP.

Seemingly unable to defend for the whole of 24 seconds in the first half, the RP team trailed early as the host riddled the Nationals’ shabby resistance with 11 triples.

But Powerade-RP came firing for the third quarter, and a renewed defensive effort helped chip away at the double-digit deficit.

Again, however, it was the RP team's abysmal shooting that did it in as the Nationals missed 18 three-point shots overall.

In earlier games, South Korea and Lebanon picked up their second straight victories, while Iran, the defending FIBA Asia champion, debuted with flourish.

The Koreans shook off tenacious Taiwan-B, 101-93, while Lebanon, with Fadih El-Khatib pouring 33 points, dumped Japan, 90-81.

Iran, getting 28 points from 6-foot-4 Nikkah Bahrami, trounced Kazakhstan, 79-56.

The Philippines takes on Kazakhstan at 4 p.m. Monday in a battle of winless teams.


SCORES:

TAIWAN 86 – Tien 21, Yang C.M. 14, Yang C.Y. 14, Chang 8, Lee 8, Chen 8, Chen S.N. 7, Lin 2, Hsu 2, Wu 2.

POWERADE RP 77 – Miller 15, Raymundo 12, Yap 12, Santos 10, Aguilar 10, Baguio 7, Arboleda 4, De Ocampo 2, Norwood 2, Dillinger 2, Taulava 1, Thoss 0.

Quarters: 30-14; 53-38; 65-62; 86-77

Powerade-RP off to W. Jones Cup

Powerade-RP off to W. Jones Cup

MANILA – Buoyed by news that Jayjay Helterbrand’s hamstring pull may not be as serious as initially thought, Powerade-Team Pilipinas leaves for the William Jones Cup tournament in Taipei Thursday, putting its worthiness for a forthcoming battle to the ultimate test.

The Philippines opens its campaign in the 9-team, single round-robin

competition – held in honor of the founding secretary-general of the

International Basketball Federation (FIBA) – against Jordan at 7 p.m.

Saturday at the Hsinchuang Gymnasium.

“I wish the Powerade Team Pilipinas a safe and successful trip and

engagement,” said PBA commissioner Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios.

“Safe, in terms of staying healthy and away from injury. And

successful, in terms of fine-tuning preparations while seeing in

action and playing against some of the teams competing in Tianjin. I

ask our countrymen to pray for our team.”

The Nationals need all the prayers coming their way.

Powerade-RP coach Yeng Guiao has called the Jones Cup, which boasts off the men’s team of Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, South Korea, Japan and Kazakhstan, the “real test” vis-à-vis the 25th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship this August in Tianjin, China, which he labeled “the real thing.”

The top three teams in the FIBA Asia tourney will qualify to the 16th

World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey next year. Bracketed in Group A, along with Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Korea and

Japan hope to get past the two-round preliminaries and the critical

quarterfinals, and gain a shot at making it to the global stage with

the rest of the world.

But for now, focus will be on how the first-rate tuneup games in

Taipei will fan out, especially with the arrival of 6-foot-9 Japeth

Aguilar and Helterbrand’s apparent rebound from a painful injury.

Completing the RP team are skipper Asi Taulava, Sonny Thoss, Kerby Raymundo, James Yap, Gabe Norwood, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jared Dillinger, Mick Pennisi, Willie Miller, Arwind Santos, and Cyrus Baguio.

Pennisi, Baguio and Helterbrand are staying behind until Saturday, by

which time the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup Finals would have wrapped up.

Ryan Reyes, Helterbrand’s main sub at the point guard spot, will join

the trip but will most likely sit out the action to give his hamstring

injury more time to heal.

“I’m sad that I might not be able to play because all I want to do is

compete, especially against the best from other countries,” said

Reyes, who suffered his injury in the country’s opening game against

Malaysia in the SEABA Men’s Championship in Medan, Indonesia last April.

“It would have been a good test to see how I fare against them, and

the adjustments I have to make. But all I can do now is get healthy

and hope that I’ll be O.K. by FIBA Asia. I’ll be supporting my

teammates all the way though.”

Taking Reyes’ place in the roster is veteran playmaker Wynne Arboleda, starting point guard for Guiao at Burger King.