GILAS PILIPINAS 2-0 IN MIAMI TUNEUP MATCHES
World Cup-bound Gilas Pilipinas played two tune-up matches and won both early in Week 2 of its boot camp in Miami, Florida.
The PHL training team clobbered the Miami Pro-Am Team, 95-74, Sunday (Saturday in Miami) and then topped the Elev8 selection Monday, 93-84, with a steady performance that spoke well of the progress of its buildup for the World meet set to fire off Aug. 30 in Spain.
Against the Miami Pro-Am Team, Andray Blatche, Japeth Aguilar, Ranidel de Ocampo and Jimmy Alapag got Gilas to a good start, and the Nationals held on to win their very first tune-up game since the addition of new naturalized player recruit Blatche.
Blatche cheered animatedly on the bench as Aguilar showed his slam-dunking prowess towards the end of the match.
With the combination of Marcus Douthit, LA Tenorio, Gabe Norwood, Gary David and Marc Pingris in the second quarter, the Nationals kept the pace and took the half at 46-39.
Then June Mar Fajardo took over in the third, scoring a couple of baskets on feeds by Alapag and Jeff Chan as Gilas sat on a 68-60 cushion after the first three quarters.
Gilas was as steady against the Elev8 selection composed mostly of top collegiate players from around the Florida area.
The Nationals more than held their own against Elev8 featuring 6-foot-10 center Waverly Austin of Oregon, 6-foot-9 power forward Kenny Kadji of Miami, shooting forwards George Naldjieff of Florida International U, Khyle Marshall of Butler and 6-foot-3 guard Cameron Bell also of FIU.
Also in the Elev8 cast were Donovan Kirk (6-8 PF Miami), Tola Akumalaf (6-5 SG FIU), Ivan Aska (6-7 C Murray State), Drew Smith (6-8 PF Liberty), Brian Asbury (6-6 SF Miami) and Frank Gaines (6-1 PG/SG IPFW). (SB)
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