Photo by August dela Cruz
The Iranians, behind crafty American import Chris Williams, pulled away in the second quarter en route to an 86-59 win over Al-Jalaa of Syria, while the Jordanians, shrugging off jetlag, trounced Duhuk of Iraq, 74-66.
“I just wanted to be aggressive,” said Aguilar, who also had six rebounds and a block. “I gained alot of confidence from the extra work in practice. It’s only the first game. It just gets tougher from here.”
Highlighting his ferocious play, the 6-foot-9 Aguilar blocked a shot with authority in the third quarter, sparking a fastbreak play that he completed with an emphatic dunk on the other end.
Their offense finally coming alive, the nationals ripped the game wide open from 23-all as Aguilar and naturalized player Marcus Douthit combined for 10 straight points in a two-minute stretch, giving Gilas its first double-digit lead at 38-27.
“We knew that we were the better team,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman. “I think they were a little tired and nervous.”
Refusing to pull their punches, the nationals completed three straight defensive gems with transition baskets to open the third period for a 57-34 spread.
By then, the Saudi squad began pulling out its key players while Gilas kept the pressure up with transition baskets.
The scores
SMART GILAS PILIPINAS 101—Aguilar 20, Douthit 18, Lassiter 15, Casio 11, Baracael 9, Barroca 8, Tiu 7, Ababou 6, Lutz 5, Hontiveros 2, Taulava 0, Ballesteros 0.
AL-ITTUHAD SAUDI ARABIA 69—Dragajlovic 18, Almaghrabi 9, Keely 8, Alqonisi 7, Alhosawi 7, Alshamrani 6, Kabe 5, Ibrahim 4, Alharbi 3, Alfallatah 2.
Quarters: 19-16, 45-31, 78-47, 101-69