MEDAN, INDONESIA—The Xtreme-Philippine team, riding the crest of a 74-67 upset of Thailand Sunday, made it two in a row with an 84-53 thrashing of Hong Kong Tuesday in the 19th FIBA Asia Under-18 ladies championship at the Angkasa Lanud Hall here.

The RP belles started with a 10-0 run and steadily pulled away from their Hong Kong rivals to join top favorite Kazakhstan for the lead in this Level II competition.

Skipper Kat Sandel topscored with 18 points while Allalaine De Gomas, Cindy Resultay and Fria Bernardo combined for 34 as the RP belles continued to make a good impression by whipping the tall Hong Kong team with a tough defense and a running attack.

“They’re bigger but slower,” said RP team coach Raymond Celis. “Our girls were just too quick and too skillful for them.”

“We won the game on defense,” said 6-foot-1 center Mhean Leviste, a banking management student from Far Eastern University. “It created plenty of fastbreak opportunities for us and we converted most of them. It’s the kind of game that proves defense is the best offense.”

The Filipino cagebelles backed by Xtreme Magic Sing take on Singapore late Wednesday before meeting Kazakhstan on Friday.

The top two in the tournament will collide in a playoff for a seat in Level I play in the next edition of the FIBA Asia U-18 ladies championship.

The RP belles had the game against Hong Kong wrapped up by taking the half at 45-20.

How the RP girls scored: Sandel 18, De Gomas 13, Resultay 11, Bernardo 10, Ortega 8, Laquindanum 6, Palmera 6, Borja 4, Versoza 4, Mangahas 2, Leviste 2.