POOLED REPORT FROM PSA
NAY PYI TAW – Sinag Pilipinas coach Jong Uichico is finally seeing the kind of defensive game he wants from his charges.
Concrete proof for Uichico is his team’s 100-68 demolition job on Thailand Friday that was the Filipinos’ fourth straight win in the 27th SEA Games basketball competition at the Zeyar Thiri Indoor Stadium here.
More wins by Sinag over Indonesia in a match set 10 a.m. (11:30 a.m. Manila) Saturday and Malaysia Sunday and the Filipinos would complete a sweep of the seven-team field as well as annex a 16th men’s cage title in the biennial meet.
Uichico knows exactly how the feat could be achieved.
“If we only play as consistent as we did today then our chances would be better,” said Uichico.
“It’s nice to have them focusing on the game, especially on defense. If we could take this over to our two remaining games then ma-a-achieve natin ang goal.”
The endgame featured a scuffle between players of both sides and the Filipinos leading 90-54, but Uichico simply shrugged the incident off. “Ganyan talaga kapag malaki na ang lamang, may nag-iinit ang ulo,” he said.
Kevin Ferrer scored 23 points and Jake Pascual wound up with 15 points and 10 rebounds in leading a balanced attack by Sinag, which raced to the early lead and sat on a very comfortable 54-33 spread at the half.
The way his charges played the kind of stifling, pressure defense against the Thais pleases Uichico even more.
“I think they took to heart what we’ve been saying all along, that they should be taking each game seriously. Baka mangyari kasi may makalusot sa amin. But today they were really focused,” said Uichico.
