Alab Pilipinas gets back at Gilas, pulls off 93-89 win in tune-up match
Alab Pilipinas avenged its earlier loss to Gilas Pilipinas by pulling off a 93-89 win, Monday evening at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City.
The national team, currently preparing for the 2019 SEA Games which will be held in the country from November 30 to December 11, won the first round as June Mar Fajardo and Roger Pogoy combined for 36 points to hold off the Jimmy Alapag-mentored squad, 98-95.
The second meeting, however, was a different story as Alab paraded its three World Imports – Nick King, Adrian Forbes, and Khaliff Wyatt, and the trio torched Gilas with 46 points to deal the national team its first defeat in its build-up for the biennial meet.
“They are very good, tall, athletic, strong team. I don’t want to make excuses but I thought we played a little tired tonight. I didn’t think we had the true energy that we had the last game,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone shortly after the closed-door scrimmage.
King top scored for the ABL squad with 23 points while Forbes and Jordan Heading added 16 and 15 markers, respectively. Jeremiah Grey chipped in 12 while Wyatt finished with 7.
Roger Pogoy paced Gilas, who played without Greg Slaugher and Troy Rosario, with 14 points while June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar contributed 12 points apiece.
The national team will cap off its series of tune-up games with a match against a Taiwanese squad next week.
The scores:
Alab Pilipinas 93 – King 23, Forbes 16, Heading 15, Grey 12, Wyatt 7, Rosser 7, Brickman 4, Vigil 4.
Gilas Pilipinas 89 – Pogoy 14, Fajardo 12, Aguilar 12, Wright 11, Standhardinger 10, Manuel 8, Lassiter 7, Tenorio 7, Pringle 2, Ross 2, Ravena 2, Thompson 2.
