PH bombs Iran, nails Fiba U16 semis slot
Another Philippine team moved within a win of crashing into the world tournament as the Under-16 squad blasted Iran, 79-52, to clinch a semifinal berth in the Fiba Asia U16 Championship Wednesday night in Tehran.
Jolo Mendoza pumped in 16 points and Mike Nieto added 13 on 6-of-8 shooting to lead the young Filipinos’ early breakaway against the host Iranians in the knockout quarterfinal match at Azadi Sports Complex.
“I told them to play with their heart; but also added a note saying, to win they needed to use their minds as well,” coach Jamike Jarin said in a Fiba Asia website interview after his U16 boys at least matched the Philippines’ previous fourth-place finish in the last two editions.
The Nationals shoot for a finals berth at 7 p.m. Thursday (12 midnight Friday in Manila) against Chinese Taipei, the team that dealt its lone loss in the elimination round.
Defending champion China and Japan tangle in the other semifinal duel.
Carlo Abadeza helped the Philippines pull ahead early, firing eight points in a 12-0 run that extended a 25-16 lead to 37-16.
Iran rallied within seven, 44-51, but Jollo Go fired all of the Nationals’ next six points to put them back up in double figures, 57-46.
This year, the top three countries will represent Asia in the 2014 Fiba U17 World Championship in August in Dubai.
Just last May, the U18 team of Thirdy Ravena, Kobe Paras, Arvin Tolentino and Prince Rivero ruled the Fiba Asia 3×3 to bag a Worlds berth for the Philippines for the first time.
Although the quartet bowed out in the early group stage last weekend, Paras shone by capturing the slam dunk crown in the side event.
Last August, the Gilas Pilipinas team also booked a 2014 World Cup berth in Spain after clinching a silver in the Fiba Asia men’s tournament the country hosted. Jasmine W. Payo
The scores:
PHILIPPINES 79—Mendoza 16, M. Nieto 13, Go 12, Desiderio 11, Abadeza 10, Dela Cruz 6, Escoto 5, J. Nieto 2, Navarro 2, Padilla 2, Dario 0, Panlilio 0
IRAN 52—Farhadichalabeh 26, Sheikhi 8, Nasiririneh 4, Baban 4, Razeghin 3, Meraji 3, Seyedi 2, Azari 2, Kisomi 0, Monji 0.
Quarters: 22-14, 38-24, 57-46, 79-52
