INQUIRER Sports

THE PHILIPPINE Patriots exacted revenge on the Singapore Slingers as they handed the league-leaders their first loss of the tournament with a 70-53 victory in the ASEAN Basketball League yesterday at the Arena in San Juan City .

New recruit Elmer Espiritu shone for the Patriots as he fueled a 10-0 run in the fourth period that gave RP a 70-49 lead. The high-leaping Espiritu scored seven points in that stretch as the Patriots won their second straight game and gave the Slingers their first loss in five matches.

The win gave the Patriots some redemption for 69-74 loss to the Slingers several weeks back at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

As promised by head coach Louie Alas, the Patriots rattled the Slingers with their paralyzing full court press early before applying the zone defense in fourth that saw the Slingers score only four points in the last five minutes.

In all, the Patriots, working behind the pesky defense of Espiritu, Jason Dixon and Brandon Powell, limited the Slingers to just three field goals in the fourth quarter.

After falling behind by 18 points in the second quarter, the Slingers closed in at 42-50 on three straight charities by Singapore import Michael LeBlanc. But a completed three-point play by Espiritu abruptly ended Singapore ?s bid to move closer. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio