MANILA—Philippine women’s basketball eased a heartache Friday night.
Its planned Asian Games stint ruined by a conflict in schedule, the Discovery-Perlas ng Pilipinas national team overpowered defending champion Thailand, 76-54, to clinch the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) women’s crown for the first time ever.
The gritty and determined Filipino cagebelles ignited an 18-7 bomb at the start of the third quarter to pull away for good against a hapless Thai squad, whose key player Phichayavee Panurushthanon sat out the game with a heavily bandaged right knee.
Joan Grajales and Diane Jose each unloaded three of the hosts’ 11 three-pointers as they finally mocked the taller and heftier Thais’ defense in the low post in the critical period.
The gallery at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium erupted in celebration at the final buzzer as the RP cagebelles, thrusting fists in the air, hugged one another at center court.
“In a championship game, it doesn’t matter who’s the better team. What matters is who wants it most,” said RP head coach Haydee Ong, whose squad lost a chance to play in the Asian Games after Asiad organizers held the drawing of lots ahead of the Seaba event.
“Tonight, we showed that we wanted it most.”
The RP team won all its five games in the tournament, including an 83-57 rout of the Thais at the end of the elimination round on Thursday.
The Filipinos also made up for the debacle in Phuket, Thailand, in 2007, when they swept the tournament’s eliminations only to yield the title game to the Thais.
The Thais leaned on Charotai Suksumwong, who fired 21 points, and the lumbering 6-foot-2 Naruel Banmoo, who thrived in the paint with 15 points.
An undergoal stab by guard Wipaporn Saechua put the Thais in front for the last time, 29-28, late in the second quarter, before Merenciana Arayi and the rest of the feisty Filipinos moved the firing line beyond the arc and started to pull away with triples.
Malaysia bagged third place with a 91-61 rout of Indonesia in the opener.
The scores:
PHILIPPINES 76—Grajales 14, Jose 12, Arayi 11, Jacob 7, Mercado 6, Pineda 5, Tioseco 5, Valencia 4, Adriano 4, Borja 3, Gloriani 3, Tolentino 2.
THAILAND 54—Suksumwong 21, Banmoo 15, Saechua 8, Mathuros 6, Chirdpetcharat 3, Sankhum 1, Doksaiyud 0, Jantakan 0, Kaichaiyapoom 0, Eiwamsum-Ang 0, Yothanan 0.
Quarters: 17-9, 37-36, 55-45, 76-54
PHILIPPINES 76—Grajales 14, Jose 12, Arayi 11, Jacob 7, Mercado 6, Pineda 5, Tioseco 5, Valencia 4, Adriano 4, Borja 3, Gloriani 3, Tolentino 2.
THAILAND 54—Suksumwong 21, Banmoo 15, Saechua 8, Mathuros 6, Chirdpetcharat 3, Sankhum 1, Doksaiyud 0, Jantakan 0, Kaichaiyapoom 0, Eiwamsum-Ang 0, Yothanan 0.
Quarters: 17-9, 37-36, 55-45, 76-54
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