INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines ? Weary of the daily grind, Jordan was an easy target for Nokia Team Pilipinas.

The Philippines booked a semifinal ticket against powerhouse China at the expense of the exhausted Jordanians, 60-45, Tuesday night in the Fiba Asia U16 Men's Championship at the Bandaraya Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

``Advancing to the semifinals is already a big achievement,'' said RP team coach Eric Altamirano, whose Nationals are seeking one of two available slots for the Fiba U17 World Championships in Hamburg, Germany next year.

``We're hoping to face Korea instead of China. But it's our fate. There must be a reason. We just have to work extra hard and do our best,'' added Altamirano.

Unloading 13 quick points right after the opening tip, the Filipinos built a commanding lead and dictated the flow to their liking, leaving the Jordanians groping and chasing throughout the one-sided affair.

Skipper Kiefer Ravena came out hot, doing most of the damage all game long together with Von Pessumal and Dana Sara as the Nationals sealed the fate of the Jordanians, 54-31, with just a minute had gone by in the final period.

It was a fitting recovery from a quarterfinal heart-breaker against the Iranians, who will face the Koreans in the other semifinal pairing.

``I was surprised with the outcome. Jordan looked tired,'' said Altamirano. ``We were able to hide our weaknesses and started out strong with our perimeter game. We handled the pressure pretty well and controlled the game throughout.''

Majdi Al-Ghzawi, who played with a heavily-bandaged left knee, led Jordan's fight for survival with 18 points while guard Malek Kanaan contributed 10 points.

Ravena tossed in 13 points on top of six steals and three rebounds while Pessumal and Sara chipped in 10 markers each for Team Pilipinas, which meets China clearly the underdog in a make-or-break situation.

``China is tough. They are mature and have the advantage in built and height,'' said Altamirano.

The scores:

PHILIPPINES 60?Ravena 13, Pessumal 10, Sara 10, Tolomia 8, Teng 7, Pate 4, Romero 4, Ferrer 2, Javillonar 2, Bantayan 0, Alolino 0.

JORDAN 45?Al-Ghzawi 18, Kanaan 10, Altaweel 7, Alshami 6, Al Dwairi 2, Al-Syouri 0, Alabbadi 0, Aljarar?ah 0, Abu Ali 0, Jabai 0, Alnaser 0.
Quarters: 17-8, 31-18, 48-29, 60-45