Long winless spell for Nat’l cagers

The Philippines is playing in the Fiba World Cup for the first time in 36 years, but the Filipinos’ winless spell in the prestigious championship dates back further than that.

The country’s last victories in the World Cup, then known as the World Championship, came in 1974 with a team built around the sweet-shooting William “Bogs” Adornado, Francis Arnaiz and team veterans Jimmy Mariano and Rogelio “Tembong” Melencio.

The Philippines actually wound up winless in group play after being bracketed with powerhouses United States, Spain and Argentina. The Filipinos then won two of their three classification assignments to finish 13th out of 14 countries.

Adornado, who would later win two  MVP awards in the PBA, came away with 20 points in a 101-100 victory over Australia, before the Philippines lost again, this time to Czechoslovakia, 112-119.

Arnaiz, the spitfire from Bacolod, scattered 25 points in an 87-86 decision of the Central African Republic in the last Philippine game.

The Philippines’ all-time best finish in the World Championship was third, achieving it in 1954 in Rio de Janeiro, where Caloy “The Big Difference” Loyzaga led the team in practically all departments.

Loyzaga, arguably the finest Asian player to play in the Worlds, averaged 16.4 points that year as the Filipinos finished next only to champion the United States and Brazil.

Loyzaga’s points production was fourth that year, earning for himself a place in the Mythical Team alongside American Kirby Minter, Brazilians Zen De Azevedo and Wlamir Marquez and Uruguay’s Oscar Moglia. Teddyvic S. Melendres