SEA Games: PH cagebelles battle Thais; Sinag Pilipinas tangle with Malaysia

JAKARTA—The Philippine women’s team slugs it out with regional powerhouse Thailand on Friday with a win likely to set up the first basketball double in the history of the Southeast Asian Games.

With the gold considered a formality for their male counterparts, the Discovery Perlas ng Pilipinas cagebelles lock horns with the Thais in the 1 p.m. (2 p.m. in Manila) contest at the BritAma Arena here.

“We need to keep our focus each game,” coach Haydee Ong said. “We are deeply motivated because of two things: To become the first batch of Filipinos to win the (women’s) gold, and we are playing for Cassy (Tioseco).”

Size will be a problem against the Thais in the absence of the 6-foot-1 Tioseco, who was downed by dengue before the team’s departure in Manila.

Ong’s charges have beaten two bigger foes in defending champion Malaysia and Myanmar, using speed and her wise shuffling of players.

That ploy is not expected to change against the Thais.

Women’s play calls for a single-round format with the top team after four games automatically winning the gold.

Indonesia, which battles Malaysia also Friday, has two straight losses and will face the Perlas girls on Saturday with a 1-2 record at best.

If the Nationals beat the Thais for a 3-0 card, they could drop their game against the Indonesians the next day and still win the gold because of the winner-over-the-other rule.

Merenciana Arayi will again anchor the Filipinos’ running game together with Fil-Am Melissa Jacobs.

Meanwhile, the Philippine men’s team battles Malaysia in the first semifinal match scheduled at 3 p.m. with the Filipinos expected to just go through the motions and formalize their entry in the gold medal match against either Thailand or Indonesia.

The Thais, whom the Filipinos ripped apart on Wednesday, and the hosts tangle in the 7 p.m. contest. The championship match is scheduled at 7 p.m. (8 p.m. in Manila) on Sunday.

NOTES: While the Philippine men’s team is sowing fear on the opposition, its members have won the admiration of fans. Girls, and even boys, have been patiently waiting outside the PH Team locker after their games, erupting into shrieks and cheers whenever the likes of Kiefer Ravena, Emman Monfort and Chris Tiu step out of the door. The fans ask for autographs and photos with the players.