THE UNDER-16 Philippine national team routed Singapore, 85-44, to capture the crown Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Under-16 Championships title Thursday night in Indonesia and earn a berth in the Asian finals to be held later this year.
The win booked the country’s slot in the Fiba Asia Under-16 Championships, which will be staged in Tehran, Iran.
It was the Philippines’ fourth win in the tournament, with previous victories coming over Thailand (82-58), Malaysia (76-72) and Indonesia (87-52).
The result against Singapore was hardly in doubt as the Nationals raced off to a 33-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes of action, paving the way for the lopsided result.
Ateneo star Jolo Mendoza was eventually named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio