RP five whips Iran, forges semis clash with Lebanon

SMART GILAS Pilipinas sizzled in the fourth period while Asian champion Iran self-destructed Friday, pulling off a 79-67 win to reach the semifinals of the Fiba Asia Stankovic Cup in Beirut.
JV Casio fired 12 of his 14 points and skipper Chris Tiu nine of his 15 in the last quarter as the RP five finally put one over the Iranians after four games since Gilas was formed late 2008.
Without its key players, Iran crumbled down the stretch, committing seven turnovers that allowed Gilas to forge a semifinal clash against host Lebanon, a 74-59 winner over the Filipinos in the tournament opener last week.
“We did nothing special,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman. “We just started to click together as a team and made our shots.”
Mac Baracael topped the Filipinos with 18 points and Marcio Lassiter added 14, including three triples, but it was the clutch plays of former collegiate rivals Casio (De La Salle) and Tiu (Ateneo) that proved decisive in the end.
Protecting a 51-49 edge, Smart Gilas scored eight straight points capped by Casio’s long jumper that opened a 10-point lead.
Asghar Kardoust, who was forced to deliver the goods in the absence of Iran’s reliable gunners, kept it close with a powerful drive and a three-point play, but the Philippines sealed its semifinal trip with a 9-0 windup.
The Lebanese underscored their label as favorite by crushing Kazakhstan, 101-57, in another quarterfinal clash.
“Lebanon is really good. We have to stop their fastbreak and change our defensive strategy,” said Toroman.
Iran missed high-scoring forward Samad Nikkhah Bahrami and playmaker Mehdi Kamrani, who are saving themselves for the Fiba World Championship in Turkey at the end of the month.
The scores:
PHILIPPINES 79—Baracael 18, Tiu 15, Lassiter 14, Casio 14, Taulava 10, Ababou 6, Aguilar 2, Barroca 0, Ballesteros 0.
IRAN 67—Kardoust 24, Davarpan 12, Atashi 11, Baheran 9, Nabipoor 5, Aslani 4, Hassan 2, Ebrahimi 0, Arghavan 0, Zareei 0.
Quarters: 17-22, 31-34, 51-49, 79-67