INQUIRER Sports

MEDAN, Indonesia ? Except for a truly top-notch competition, it would be safe to say that Powerade-Team Pilipinas and coach Yeng Guiao saw everything in their first international stint together.

Even with a player on the bench being slapped with a foul, the Filipinos still kept their poise in another hostile setting Tuesday night to prevail over Indonesia, 98-68, and sweep the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) championship at the Angkasapura Lanud Hall here.

?We had our share of nervous moments, not just in the championship game, but in the whole tournament,? Guiao told Filipino mediamen shortly after wrapping up his first international title with an all-star team he praised to high heavens not just because of its talent.

?First, I?d like to commend the guys, they made a lot of sacrifices,? he said. ?Everything expected of them, they gave, maybe even more. I?m very happy, very satisfied with the result. ?I am just very happy with the attitude of the guys, even when they are sick.?

Held to a tie at the end of a quarter for the first time, the Filipinos merely shook this off and zoomed ahead with a blizzard of shots from almost everyone to give a small RP crowd that was grossly outnumbered in the oven-hot venue a lot to cheer about.

Cyrus Baguio, who erupted for a tournament-best 28 points against Singapore on Monday, and James Yap hit for 14 each to pace the Nationals, who were dragged into a 22-all tie after the first period because of some truly silly calls.

Wrong number

Ranidel de Ocampo, the Filipino workhorse, got whistled for three fouls inside the first 2:30 of the opening quarter. And the refs seemed to have concentrated on him too much, because when the next foul was called on Arwind Santos, the official still signaled De Ocampo?s number though he was already on the bench.

Asi Taulava finished with 11 points and Willie Miller and Santos had 10 each even as the Philippine defense held the Indonesians, represented in this four-nation event by Garuda Plexi, to just 10 points in the second period.

Finalists

Both finalists have already qualified to the Fiba-Asia World Basketball qualifiers before the title game but the Filipinos still poured it on, dropping a 33-11 bomb for a 37-point spread early in the fourth.

?We couldn?t match their speed in the second half, and we couldn?t handle their pressure on the ball,? said Indonesian coach Raoul Miguel Hidanoto.

Taulava finished with another double-double after adding 10 rebounds.

The Filipinos were sluggish early on and never really found their range from beyond the arc as they finished with just 4-of-19 shooting and wound up with a 24-percent clip for the tournament.

?Offensively, our three-point shooting was way below our expectations,? Guiao said. ?We have good shooters in this team but for one reason or another, we?ve not been shooting that well, even during the All-Stars series.?

Guiao will call for thrice-a-week practices starting next week to prepare for the Jones Cup, which the Philippines last won in 1998 with the Centennial Team coached by Alaska?s Tim Cone.

The scores:
POWERADE-TEAM PILIPINAS 98?Baguio 14, Yap 14, Taulava 11, Miller 10, Santos 10, Dillinger 8, Raymundo 8, De Ocampo 8, Norwood 8, Pennisi 7.

INDONESIA 68?Sudiadnyana 14, Wuysang 11, Purwanto 11, Sigar 7, Thoyib 6, Poedjakusuma 5, Agustinus 5, Suro 4, Budianto 3, Fitzgerald 2, Wibawa 0, Sumargo 0.
Quarters: 22-22, 46-32, 77-49, 98-68