SEA Games: Philippine women’s basketball team fails to get gold; men’s squad reaches finals

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine women’s squad botched a chance to win gold while the men’s team is a win away from the championship in the basketball competition of the 26th Southeast Asian Games Friday.

Known as Discover Perlas ng Pilipinas, the cagebelles absorbed a 73-75 heartbreak in overtime against Indonesia and failed to clinch an outright gold medal, which would have been the squad’s first in SEA Games history.

The Sinag Pilipinas, meanwhile, turned a taut contest into a 103-74 rout of Malasyia to barge into the finals where it would face the winner between Thailand and Indonesia.

Discover Perlas will try to salvage the silver medal in the women’s basketball Sunday while Sinag Pilipinas will shoot for another gold medal in the men’s side.

Missed free throws down the stretch sealed the Philippine cagebelles’ doom, after a crushing buzzer-beater of a triple by Indonesia sent the game into overtime.

Both squads battled it out in the extra five minutes, with the Philippines having a slight advantage after Indonesia’s star Naruemol Banmoo fouled out.

But veteran campaigner Joan Grajales failed to tie the game as she made only two of her last four freethrows in the last 12 seconds.

Merenciana Arayi also struggled from the line and came up short at the end of regulation despite being one of the women’s team’s most consistent players, offensively.

After a huge triple with 49 seconds left, Arayi missed two freethrows – which could have sealed the victory – and was also called for a crucial travelling violation in the last second following a premature celebration.

Arayi had 18 points, while Ambie Almazan, who helped Discover Perlas rally and stay in the game in the payoff period, added 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Sinag Pilipinas, on the other hand, took a while to shake the resilient Malaysia off – but handily pulled away from the Malaysians once it got the momentum going towards the end of the third quarter.

The all-amateur squad opened up an insurmountable lead once the shots started falling in in the fourth period.

Ateneo’s Greg Slaughter topscored with 16 points along with four boards, Clifford Hodge scored 12 points, while former UAAP Most Valuable Player RR Garcia finished with 11 points.