By REYNALD MAGALLON
Simply men among the boys.
The future stars of Gilas Pilipinas proved exactly just like that, stamping their class all over Indonesia, 70-40 , in the final to complete yet another tournament sweep of the FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA qualifiers at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center on Friday, May 30.
A dominant opening frame set the tone for the rout as unlike in their first meeting, the wards of head coach LA Tenorio immediately clamped down on the visiting team which the Nationals limited to a measly five points in the first 10 minutes.
Gilas, on the other hand, simply got everything it wanted on the offensive as they immediately erected a double-digit advantage which it never relinquished the rest of the way.
Jhustin Hallare led the way with 13 points while Gab Delos Reyes added 11 points, 13 rebounds and four assists for the Filipinos who now have ruled the regional meet for the sixth straight edition – all in a dominating fashion.
The Gilas Boys are now 25-0 in the SEABA qualifiers after completing a 6-0 tournament sweep which they did behind a huge 39-point winning margin.
After exploding for 23 points and making life hard for his defenders in their first meeting, Benjamin Piet Hernusi was missing in action for the Indonesians, only mustering eight points on a poor 2-of-16 clip from the field.
Malaysia copped the bronze medal after taking down Thailand, 78-69, while Singapore, despite coming out winless in the eliminations, claimed the fifth spot with a stunning 87-78 upset of Vietnam in the classification match.
