Energen Pilipinas beats Iraq to advance to Final Four of Fiba-Asia Championship

The Energen Pilipinas Under-16 squad clinched a spot in the semifinals as they leaned on their solid defensive effort to thwart Iraq, 82-69, in the FIBA Asia U-16 Championship late Wednesday night at the Khanh Hoa Sports Center in Vietnam.

Tomas Ramos and Jay Javelosa led the Energen big men who stepped up against the West Asian champion Iraqis, who nearly overhauled the Filipinos’ huge 24-point lead, 37-13, following a second half-run that trimmed it to just a couple of baskets, 64-60. But Javelosa responded by drilling seven of his 12 points in the last eight minutes as Ramos topscored with 15 markers.

Up next for the Philippines is South Korea, the squad that has been a thorn to the Philippine team in several past international campaigns.

Ramos and Javelosa proved to be the anchor in Energen’s solid interior defense that helped the Philippines streak to its sixth straight victory. Javelosa, a 6-foot-5 standout from Reedley International School, hauled down 16 rebounds aside from blocking three shots.

Ramos, a member of the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, also had nine boards, while guards Henry Asilum of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, Kyles Lao, Hubert Cani and Rev Diputado, another former Cebuano standout, shone as well with a combined 37 points.