Patriots look to get back on track

The Philippine Patriots seek to bounce back strong after suffering a crunching defeat in their last outing as they collide with the KL Dragons in Saturday’s 1st ASEAN Basketball League at the MABA Gym.

This will be the first of three must-win games for the Patriots in their drive to secure the top seeding in this six-team tournament and the coveted homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

The team dropped a 67-59 loss to the Slingers in a game where they bungled a 14-point lead in the first half.

“I hope lessons learned in our last game will be put to good use for today’s match," said Patriots coach Louie Alas.

The veteran mentor was referring to the fact that the team started with a tough defensive game only to shift to a shootout against the Slingers in the second half. The ploy backfired as the Patriots could not find the hoops to the delight of the Singaporean crowd.

“We must play defense not only for one quarter but for the whole game. I also hope our locals will be able to share the load with our imports to add dimension to our offense," Alas said.

The Patriots remain at the helm in the league with a 9-3 record but need to sweep their remaining three outings to avoid any complication in their race for the top seeding with the Slingers.

Right now, the Slingers have a 7-4 record entering their final four assignments and there still is a chance for them to tie the Patriots at the top spot with 11 wins.

That will happen if the Slingers win all their outings and the Patriots lose one of their final three games against the Dragons Saturday, the Thailand Tigers on January 17 at Nimibutr National Stadium in Thailand and the Brunei Barracudas on January 24 at Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.

Should this scenario materialize, the Slingers will assume the top seeding by virtue of their 2-1 head to head record against the Patriots.

The Patriots remain the favorite against the Dragons, having won their first two encounters, 73-63 and 76-70. Morevover, the Dragons are on a two-game slump including a 57-69 setback to Satria Muda BritAma last January 5 at home.

“We won our first two meetings but we can’t be complacent and take them for granted," said team manager Erick Arejola.

For one, the Dragons need this win to boost their own chances for a semis seat.

The Malaysian squad has a 4-7 win-loss record and is contesting the number four seat with the Barracudas (5-6).

Do-it-all import Jason Dixon is expected to shine anew for the Patriots but the team’s other reinforcement, Brandon Powell, must get his act going or else see himself being replaced after this game.

Averaging 18.5 points in the twin victories over Malaysia, Powell has become a non-factor in the team’s past three outings.

In the game against the Slingers, Powell contributed 10 points, but scored six of them in the first quarter. He also committed five of the team’s 17 turnovers in 26 minutes of action.

Aside from Powell, the locals must also step up with Warren Ybanez, Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuna needing to get involved in the scoring chores.

As for the Dragons, the team will again rely on the heroics of their imports Chris Daniel Kuete Lonichi and Jamaal Brown.

Lonichi is coming off a 26-point, 13-rebound, 3-steal performance in their last outing.

Team Standings(W-L)
RP Patriots 9-3
Satria Muda BritAma 7-5
Singapore Slingers 7-4
Brunei Barracudas 5-6
Thailand Tigers 3-10
KL Dragons 4-7

Game on Saturday
(MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur)
5 p.m. — KL Dragons vs RP Patriots

Source: Author Unknown  | gmanews.tv

Slingers defeats Patriots, 67-59

The Slingers sent Michael LeBlanc, Kyle Jeffers, Marcus Ng, Al Vergara and Hong Wei Jian as the starting lineup to go up against Jason Dixon, Robert Wainwright, Warren Ybanez, Brandon Powell and John Alcaraz. Slingers’ Kyle Jeffers won the jumpball against Patriots’ Jason Dixon, but it was the Patriots’ Brandon Powell who opened the scoring for the team.

The first quarter saw the Patriots take an early lead, and continued to push forward, finishing the first quarter with an 11 point lead which ended 21 – 9. Fired up by Patriots lead, Slingers upped their defense, and in the second quarter only allowed Patriots to score 8 points. This allowed the Slingers to tie even 29 all with the Patriots at halftime.

The tie continued in the third quarter, with both team scoring 16 points each, ending the quarter 45 all. It was in the fourth and final quarter that the Singapore Slingers pushed hard and pulled away from the Patriots, and at the final buzzer, Slingers emerged winners with an 8 point lead, ending the match 67 – 59 against the Patriots.

Singapore Slingers’ Michael LeBlanc lead the team with 21 personal points followed by Kyle Jeffers with 11 personal points. Jeffers also lead the Slingers with 10 rebounds. Patriots’ Jason Dixon scored 21 personal points followed by Brandon Powell with 10 personal points. Warren Ybanez lead the team with 8 rebounds.

Source: Author Unknown  | aseanbasketballleague.com

Patriots seek No. 1 against host Slingers

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots zero in on the No. 1 seeding in the Final Four as they seek a repeat win over the Singapore Slingers at resumption of action in the first Asean Basketball League (ABL) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today.

Showing the way for the six-team field with a 9-2 (win-loss) card, the Patriots take on the Slingers at 8 p.m. with the former raring to duplicate their 70-53 romp over the hosts the last time they met.

The RP Patriots’ game against the Slingers serves as the first of their two road games in four days. From Singapore, the Patriots, co-owned by Dr. Mikee Romero of Harbour Centre and Tony Boy Cojuangco, will fly to Kuala Lumpur to battle the Dragons on Friday.

Actually, the Patriots will be playing three of their last four games on the road as they tangle with the Thailand Tigers at Nimibutr National Stadium on Jan. 17 before closing out their elimination round campaign against the Brunei Barracudas on Jan. 24 back at home at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The Patriots need to win three of their last four games to secure the No. 1 spot and the homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.


“It will be a tough week ahead of us but the team is prepared and ready for the challenge,” said coach Louie Alas.

The Patriots, who left for Singapore yesterday, is coming off back-to-back victories over the KL Dragons, 76-70, and Brunei Barracudas, 70-56, to cap their sterling campaign in 2009.

“I commend the players’ attitude and sacrifices just to be in their tip-top shape in time for our coming games. This just goes to show how determined our team is in its drive to succeed in this league,” said team manager Erick Arejola.

This marks the third time the Patriots and the Slingers will slug it out with the latter winning their first encounter, 74-69.

The Slingers hold a 6-4 record but they need to beat the Patriots to boost their bid to finish in the top 3 after the elims.

“My main concern now is the energy level of the team since we are coming off a break. We have to match the intensity of the Slingers especially on defense because we need to contain their output,” said Alas.

Jason Dixon is averaging 14.6 point and 13.6 rebounds after posting double-double performances in the team’s last seven games. The other players to watch for the Patriots are Brandon Powell, Nonoy Baclao, Warren Ybanez, JP Alcaraz and Rob Wainwright.

The Slingers, on the other hand, will rely on American imports Michael LeBlanc and Kyle Jefers and Filipino import Al Vergara.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

RP Patriots to play Slingers

After a two-week holiday break, the ASEAN Basketball League returns with a three-game schedule this week with the Philippines facing Singapore Tomorrow in the latter’s homecourt.

The Thailand Tigers and the Brunei Barracudas, two of three teams fighting for the last semifinal seat, are still playing at presstime at the Nimibutr National Stadium, (update: Barracudas beats Thailand Tigers, 94–89) Bangkok with both teams aiming to redeem themselves from disappointing setbacks.

Also playing are Satria Muda BritAma of Indonesia against hosts Kuala Lumpur Dragons at the MABA Stadium in Malaysia with the Indons looking for a third straight win.

The league-leading Philippine Patriots go for their 10th win in 12 games tomorrow against the Singapore Slingers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with the Filipinos seeking to make it two in a row against the home team this season.

It will be the first of three road games scheduled for the Filipinos this month as they will also face the Malaysians (January 9) and the Thais (January 17) before wrapping up their elimination round assignment at home against Brunei.

The Slingers (6-4) and BritAma (6-5) are in a tight race for second spot in the standings, the Barracudas and the Dragons share a tie for fourth at 4-6 while the Tigers are at the cellar with a 3-9 record.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Brunei are coming off defeats to the Patriots which were both held at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The Patriots pummeled the Dragons, 76-70, last December 19 before beating the Barracudas, 70-56, two days later.

The Tigers, meanwhile, suffered two straight defeats – first against Singapore, 69-66, last December 17 then to the Indonesians, 69-58, at home last December 20.

Source: Jonas Terrdo  | Manila Bulletin

Pinoy ABL imports prove their worth

Filipino Imports have impressively held their own in the fledgling Asean Basketball League, but it’s no easy task every time their teams go up against the league-leading Philippine Patriots.

“I usually end up giving a scouting report [on the Patriots],” said Singapore’s Al Vergara, one of 11 Filipinos reinforcing five other club teams in the region’s first basketball league.

“Our coach would ask me who these players are, how they play,” Vergara added in Filipino. “It’s hard. Some of them are my former teammates, so it feels like I’m betraying them.”

The Singapore Slingers dealt the Patriots’ first loss with Vergara playing a key role in a 74-69 decision last Oct. 18 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Brunei Barracudas, powered by ex-pros Kiko Adriano, Don Camaso and Leo Avenido, also inflicted the Patriots’ only other loss last Dec 13.

“It’s hard emotionally because I am a Filipino,” said Brunei’s Filipino coach Bong Ramos after his Barracudas embarrassed the Patriots with a 95-70 drubbing at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.

“But at the same time I’m also happy,” he said.

“This is Brunei’s first professional basketball team, so for me to get one win over the Patriots, we’ve already achieved our goal. It’s a difficult job.”

Other Filipinos seeing action in the the six-nation, home-and-away tournament are former PBA guard Rensy Bajar for Indonesia Satria Muda Britama; ex-Liga Pilipinas cagers Ricky Ricafuente, Glenn Bolocon and Axel Doruelo for the Thailand Tigers; and former varsity standouts Roel Hugnatan, Rudy Lingganay and Toto Bandaying for the Kuala Lumpur Dragons.

“There are a lot of adjustments,” said Vergara.

“Like with the language, sometimes it’s hard to understand your coach.

“The training is also different. In the Philippines, we run, sprint, there’s a lot of focus on our physical conditioning. Here, it’s more on mental. We also spend a lot of time on plays, because a lot of their locals are still learning the game.”

Pinoy ABL imports prove their worth

Filipino Imports have impressively held their own in the fledgling Asean Basketball League, but it’s no easy task every time their teams go up against the league-leading Philippine Patriots.

“I usually end up giving a scouting report [on the Patriots],” said Singapore’s Al Vergara, one of 11 Filipinos reinforcing five other club teams in the region’s first basketball league.

“Our coach would ask me who these players are, how they play,” Vergara added in Filipino. “It’s hard. Some of them are my former teammates, so it feels like I’m betraying them.”

The Singapore Slingers dealt the Patriots’ first loss with Vergara playing a key role in a 74-69 decision last Oct. 18 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Brunei Barracudas, powered by ex-pros Kiko Adriano, Don Camaso and Leo Avenido, also inflicted the Patriots’ only other loss last Dec 13.

“It’s hard emotionally because I am a Filipino,” said Brunei’s Filipino coach Bong Ramos after his Barracudas embarrassed the Patriots with a 95-70 drubbing at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.

“But at the same time I’m also happy,” he said.

“This is Brunei’s first professional basketball team, so for me to get one win over the Patriots, we’ve already achieved our goal. It’s a difficult job.”

Other Filipinos seeing action in the the six-nation, home-and-away tournament are former PBA guard Rensy Bajar for Indonesia Satria Muda Britama; ex-Liga Pilipinas cagers Ricky Ricafuente, Glenn Bolocon and Axel Doruelo for the Thailand Tigers; and former varsity standouts Roel Hugnatan, Rudy Lingganay and Toto Bandaying for the Kuala Lumpur Dragons.

“There are a lot of adjustments,” said Vergara.

“Like with the language, sometimes it’s hard to understand your coach.

“The training is also different. In the Philippines, we run, sprint, there’s a lot of focus on our physical conditioning. Here, it’s more on mental. We also spend a lot of time on plays, because a lot of their locals are still learning the game.”

Patriots brace for hard ABL grind

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots have resumed their daily workout in an effort to stay in shape and keep their competitive form nearing the playoff phase of the Asean Basketball League.

ABL action resumes on Jan. 6 with the Patriots playing the Singapore Slingers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

“We’ve resumed practice after taking a brief holiday break because we want to stay in shape and sustain our momentum going into our next game,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas.

The Filipinos walloped the Bong Ramos-mentored Brunei Barracudas, 70-56, at home last week to solidify their grip of the top spot with a 9-2 (win-loss) record.

The emphatic triumph put the Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre chief executive officer and president Mikee Romero and businessman Tony Boy Cojuangco, closer to clinching the top seeding and the home court advantage.

“The main goal is to finish the elimination round as top seeds and clinch the home court advantage which would be vital in our campaign,” said Alas.

The Patriots need only three more wins to secure the top seeding.

After their game against the Slingers, the Filipinos take on the Malaysians in Malaysia on Jan. 9 and then the Thais in Thailand on Jan. 17 before capping their elimination round stint with a home game against the Thais at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.

Though distant second with a 6-4 record, the Slingers are still capable of surging past the Patriots, and this is why Alas isn’t leaving anything to chance.

The Barracudas and the Malaysians are at joint third with 4-6 marks while the Tigers are still in the semifinal hunt with a 3-9 slate.

In their last game, American import Juan Dixon came through 17 points and 13 rebounds, a performance that opened up the lanes for Rob Wainwright who knocked in four triples and a total of 16 points.

The Patriots avenged a 75-90 blowout they suffered at the hands of the Barracudas in their previous meeting last Dec. 13 at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.

Patriots brace for hard ABL grind

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots have resumed their daily workout in an effort to stay in shape and keep their competitive form nearing the playoff phase of the Asean Basketball League.

ABL action resumes on Jan. 6 with the Patriots playing the Singapore Slingers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

“We’ve resumed practice after taking a brief holiday break because we want to stay in shape and sustain our momentum going into our next game,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas.

The Filipinos walloped the Bong Ramos-mentored Brunei Barracudas, 70-56, at home last week to solidify their grip of the top spot with a 9-2 (win-loss) record.

The emphatic triumph put the Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre chief executive officer and president Mikee Romero and businessman Tony Boy Cojuangco, closer to clinching the top seeding and the home court advantage.

“The main goal is to finish the elimination round as top seeds and clinch the home court advantage which would be vital in our campaign,” said Alas.

The Patriots need only three more wins to secure the top seeding.

After their game against the Slingers, the Filipinos take on the Malaysians in Malaysia on Jan. 9 and then the Thais in Thailand on Jan. 17 before capping their elimination round stint with a home game against the Thais at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.

Though distant second with a 6-4 record, the Slingers are still capable of surging past the Patriots, and this is why Alas isn’t leaving anything to chance.

The Barracudas and the Malaysians are at joint third with 4-6 marks while the Tigers are still in the semifinal hunt with a 3-9 slate.

In their last game, American import Juan Dixon came through 17 points and 13 rebounds, a performance that opened up the lanes for Rob Wainwright who knocked in four triples and a total of 16 points.

The Patriots avenged a 75-90 blowout they suffered at the hands of the Barracudas in their previous meeting last Dec. 13 at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.

Alas aches for more Patriots offense

The Philippine Patriots are atop of the ASEAN Basketball League season yet coach Louie Alas is far from satisfied.

Despite winning nine of its 11 games in the current campaign, the multi-titled mentor wants more offensive spark if the Patriots want to win the league's inaugural championship.

“I’m satisfied with our defense thus far but if we could be more consistent on offense then we’ll be a much better team,” said Alas, who accepted the job as the Patriots coach before the season began last October.

Aside from that, it has been all but positive for the Patriots of co-owners Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangco as they shrugged off a slow start to show the way in the standings.

After his Harbour Centre squad won seven straight championships in the Philippine Basketball League, Romero took this new challenge by adding the likes of Rob Wainwright, Froilan Baguion, Warren Ybanez, and imports Jason Dixon and Brandon Powell.

Assistant coach Bogs Adornado handled the reigns when Alas was still finishing up his chores as coach of the Letran Knights in the NCAA. With the Adornado at the helm, the Patriots beat Satria Muda BritAma, 76-69, in Jakarta to open their campaign on October 10.

However, the Filipino cagers suffered a speed bump the next week when the highly-touted Singapore Slingers, bannered by Americans Kyle Jeffers and Michael LeBlanc and Filipino guard Al Vergara, beat the Patriots, 74-69.

It was a perfect opportunity for the Patriots to retool their lineup by adding UAAP standouts Nonoy Baclao of Ateneo and Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuña from the University of the East and quickly it gave positive results for the team.

Behind these three youthful cagers, along with a rejuvenated Dixon, the team's 6-foot-10 American import, the Patriots coasted to six straight victories, including win over Singapore and twice over BritAma, and eight of the last nine to take the lead.

Their last win came at the expense of the Brunei Barracudas last Monday, 70-56, a victory that somehow avenged their humbling 95-70 setback. That was understandable as they sorely missed the services of Baclao and Espiritu.

During their last eight games, Dixon registered seven straight double-double performances while Powell averaged 15.0 points in the last two games, making up for his paltry three-point showing in their first encounter with Brunei.

Alas aches for more Patriots offense

The Philippine Patriots are atop of the ASEAN Basketball League season yet coach Louie Alas is far from satisfied.

Despite winning nine of its 11 games in the current campaign, the multi-titled mentor wants more offensive spark if the Patriots want to win the league's inaugural championship.

“I’m satisfied with our defense thus far but if we could be more consistent on offense then we’ll be a much better team,” said Alas, who accepted the job as the Patriots coach before the season began last October.

Aside from that, it has been all but positive for the Patriots of co-owners Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangco as they shrugged off a slow start to show the way in the standings.

After his Harbour Centre squad won seven straight championships in the Philippine Basketball League, Romero took this new challenge by adding the likes of Rob Wainwright, Froilan Baguion, Warren Ybanez, and imports Jason Dixon and Brandon Powell.

Assistant coach Bogs Adornado handled the reigns when Alas was still finishing up his chores as coach of the Letran Knights in the NCAA. With the Adornado at the helm, the Patriots beat Satria Muda BritAma, 76-69, in Jakarta to open their campaign on October 10.

However, the Filipino cagers suffered a speed bump the next week when the highly-touted Singapore Slingers, bannered by Americans Kyle Jeffers and Michael LeBlanc and Filipino guard Al Vergara, beat the Patriots, 74-69.

It was a perfect opportunity for the Patriots to retool their lineup by adding UAAP standouts Nonoy Baclao of Ateneo and Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuña from the University of the East and quickly it gave positive results for the team.

Behind these three youthful cagers, along with a rejuvenated Dixon, the team's 6-foot-10 American import, the Patriots coasted to six straight victories, including win over Singapore and twice over BritAma, and eight of the last nine to take the lead.

Their last win came at the expense of the Brunei Barracudas last Monday, 70-56, a victory that somehow avenged their humbling 95-70 setback. That was understandable as they sorely missed the services of Baclao and Espiritu.

During their last eight games, Dixon registered seven straight double-double performances while Powell averaged 15.0 points in the last two games, making up for his paltry three-point showing in their first encounter with Brunei.

Patriots Have Their Revenge Against Barracudas, 70-56

The Philippine Patriots were looking for revenge against the Brunei Barracudas after losing the previous December 13 match to the Barracudas. The Patriots, who were weakened by the absence of two star players were unable to keep up, and ultimately the Barracudas won the match 95 – 70.

The Patriots were back to their full roster, sending in Jason Dixon, Froilan Baguion, Jerwin Gaco, Khasim Mirza and Brandon Powell to go up against Barracudas’ Chee Choun Lim, Reggie Larry, Leonidaz Avenido, Michael Pilgrim and Francis Adriano.

Jerwin Gaco opened scoring for the Patriots, and the team surged forward from there, taking the first quarter 18 – 9 against the Patriots. The Patriots continued to push hard in the second quarter, and with 4 minutes remaining, the Barracudas were already 21 points down, and at half time, the Patriots were leading the Barracudas 42 – 22. At the end of two quarters, the Barracudas had only managed to make 26% of their field goals, and only had 12 rebounds compared to Patriots 21.

The Barracudas, realizing they were running out of time to turn the tables on the Patriots, pushed hard in the third quarter and reduced the Patriots’ lead to 12 points, ending the quarter 41 – 53.

In the fourth quarter, the Patriots continued their lead over the Barracudas, and with 2 minutes left on the clock the Patriots had already secured a 13 point lead. The Patriots continued their lead to the final buzzer, ending the match 70 – 56 against the Barracudas.

Patriots Have Their Revenge Against Barracudas, 70-56

The Philippine Patriots were looking for revenge against the Brunei Barracudas after losing the previous December 13 match to the Barracudas. The Patriots, who were weakened by the absence of two star players were unable to keep up, and ultimately the Barracudas won the match 95 – 70.

The Patriots were back to their full roster, sending in Jason Dixon, Froilan Baguion, Jerwin Gaco, Khasim Mirza and Brandon Powell to go up against Barracudas’ Chee Choun Lim, Reggie Larry, Leonidaz Avenido, Michael Pilgrim and Francis Adriano.

Jerwin Gaco opened scoring for the Patriots, and the team surged forward from there, taking the first quarter 18 – 9 against the Patriots. The Patriots continued to push hard in the second quarter, and with 4 minutes remaining, the Barracudas were already 21 points down, and at half time, the Patriots were leading the Barracudas 42 – 22. At the end of two quarters, the Barracudas had only managed to make 26% of their field goals, and only had 12 rebounds compared to Patriots 21.

The Barracudas, realizing they were running out of time to turn the tables on the Patriots, pushed hard in the third quarter and reduced the Patriots’ lead to 12 points, ending the quarter 41 – 53.

In the fourth quarter, the Patriots continued their lead over the Barracudas, and with 2 minutes left on the clock the Patriots had already secured a 13 point lead. The Patriots continued their lead to the final buzzer, ending the match 70 – 56 against the Barracudas.

Patriots defeats KL Dragons, 76-70

The Philippine Patriots came through with the needed break in the fourth quarter to squeeze past the KL Dragons, 76-70, Saturday and get back on the winning track in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

In a game that saw nine deadlocks and 12 lead changes, the Patriots even trailed by seven points in the second quarter but worked their way up to a two-point lead with less than two minutes left in the contest.

Warren Ybañez then boomed with a triple with 1:43 left and the Patriots got the breathing room they needed, 71-66.

The win was a big lift for the Patriots who absorbed a devastating setback from the Brunei Barracudas last week.

It was the eighth win in 10 outings for the Patriots, who moved closer to the top spot in the best-of-three semifinals.

“The toughest thing to do is to come back from a devastating loss. But luckily, our players performed well,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas, whose team will meet the Barracudas again on Monday.

Maligned for a forgetful three-point performance in their embarrassing 70-95 loss to the Barracudas, Powell took the challenge of Alas with gusto pumping in a season-best 20 points, 13 in the first half, on 8-of-14 shooting to lead the Patriots.

“I told him (Powell) that it was a very lousy game and he should be matured and play as a man and I’m glad he bounced back,” Alas said.

Powell’s compatriot, 6-foot-10 Jason Dixon, notched his seventh consecutive double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds while guards Jaypee Alcaraz and Ybanez hit 11 points each while combining for seven assists.

Nonoy Baclao, who missed last week's game after leading Ateneo to the Philippine Collegiate Champions League title, finished with eight points, three rebounds and two blocks off the bench.

Cameroonian Chris Kuete delivered 19 points and nine rebounds, American Jamal Brown had 15 points while Filipino import Rudy Lingganay added 13 pointsfor the Dragons, who fell to 4-6.

RP PATRIOTS 76 — Powell 20, Dixon 15, Alcaraz 11, Ybanez 11, Baguion 9, Baclao 8, Wainwright 2, Gaco 0, Raneses 0, Coronel 0, Acuña 0, Espiritu 0.

KL DRAGONS 70 — Kuete 19, Brown 15, Lingganay 13, Hugnatan 8, Chee 5, Batumalai 3, Loh 3, Kow 2, Wee 2, Bandaying 0, Chai 0.

Quarters: 21-21, 38-37, 55-54, 74-70.

Patriots defeats KL Dragons, 76-70

The Philippine Patriots came through with the needed break in the fourth quarter to squeeze past the KL Dragons, 76-70, Saturday and get back on the winning track in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

In a game that saw nine deadlocks and 12 lead changes, the Patriots even trailed by seven points in the second quarter but worked their way up to a two-point lead with less than two minutes left in the contest.

Warren Ybañez then boomed with a triple with 1:43 left and the Patriots got the breathing room they needed, 71-66.

The win was a big lift for the Patriots who absorbed a devastating setback from the Brunei Barracudas last week.

It was the eighth win in 10 outings for the Patriots, who moved closer to the top spot in the best-of-three semifinals.

“The toughest thing to do is to come back from a devastating loss. But luckily, our players performed well,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas, whose team will meet the Barracudas again on Monday.

Maligned for a forgetful three-point performance in their embarrassing 70-95 loss to the Barracudas, Powell took the challenge of Alas with gusto pumping in a season-best 20 points, 13 in the first half, on 8-of-14 shooting to lead the Patriots.

“I told him (Powell) that it was a very lousy game and he should be matured and play as a man and I’m glad he bounced back,” Alas said.

Powell’s compatriot, 6-foot-10 Jason Dixon, notched his seventh consecutive double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds while guards Jaypee Alcaraz and Ybanez hit 11 points each while combining for seven assists.

Nonoy Baclao, who missed last week's game after leading Ateneo to the Philippine Collegiate Champions League title, finished with eight points, three rebounds and two blocks off the bench.

Cameroonian Chris Kuete delivered 19 points and nine rebounds, American Jamal Brown had 15 points while Filipino import Rudy Lingganay added 13 pointsfor the Dragons, who fell to 4-6.

RP PATRIOTS 76 — Powell 20, Dixon 15, Alcaraz 11, Ybanez 11, Baguion 9, Baclao 8, Wainwright 2, Gaco 0, Raneses 0, Coronel 0, Acuña 0, Espiritu 0.

KL DRAGONS 70 — Kuete 19, Brown 15, Lingganay 13, Hugnatan 8, Chee 5, Batumalai 3, Loh 3, Kow 2, Wee 2, Bandaying 0, Chai 0.

Quarters: 21-21, 38-37, 55-54, 74-70.

Baclao returns as Patriots face Dragons

The Philippine Patriots try to bounce back from a crushing setback last week as they battle the Kuala Lumpur Dragons today in the first ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Championship at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

Still smarting from a 70-95 loss to the Brunei Barracudas, the Patriots are raring to regain their winning ways as they take on the Dragons in the 4 p.m. main game.

With the return of Nonoy Baclao, who suited up for Ateneo for the last time against FEU in the recent Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) finals, the Patriots hope to make full use of their frontline rotation as they try to boost their bid for the No. 1 seed in the Final Four.

The absence of Baclao and the high-leaping Elmer Espiritu – the team’s top defensive men -–told heavily on the Patriots as the Barracudas dominated the shaded lane aside from shooting well from afar to snap the Patriots’ six-game win run.

Espiritu remains a doubtful starter due to a broken cheekbone inflicted by Indonesian American import Nakiea Miller two weeks ago.

The Patriots are still leading the six-nation tournament with a 7-2 record but the Dragons are also out to get even with them.

“We have to play really smart if we want to get back on the winning track,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “We have to win four of last six games to clinch the No. 1 seeding in the semis.”

Patriots coach Louie Alas expects his boys to redeem themselves against the Dragons who are out to follow up their impressive 88-69 win over the Thailand Tigers.

Game Saturday (Ynares Sports Arena)
4PM RP Patriots vs KL Dragons

Baclao returns as Patriots face Dragons

The Philippine Patriots try to bounce back from a crushing setback last week as they battle the Kuala Lumpur Dragons today in the first ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Championship at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

Still smarting from a 70-95 loss to the Brunei Barracudas, the Patriots are raring to regain their winning ways as they take on the Dragons in the 4 p.m. main game.

With the return of Nonoy Baclao, who suited up for Ateneo for the last time against FEU in the recent Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) finals, the Patriots hope to make full use of their frontline rotation as they try to boost their bid for the No. 1 seed in the Final Four.

The absence of Baclao and the high-leaping Elmer Espiritu – the team’s top defensive men -–told heavily on the Patriots as the Barracudas dominated the shaded lane aside from shooting well from afar to snap the Patriots’ six-game win run.

Espiritu remains a doubtful starter due to a broken cheekbone inflicted by Indonesian American import Nakiea Miller two weeks ago.

The Patriots are still leading the six-nation tournament with a 7-2 record but the Dragons are also out to get even with them.

“We have to play really smart if we want to get back on the winning track,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “We have to win four of last six games to clinch the No. 1 seeding in the semis.”

Patriots coach Louie Alas expects his boys to redeem themselves against the Dragons who are out to follow up their impressive 88-69 win over the Thailand Tigers.

Game Saturday (Ynares Sports Arena)
4PM RP Patriots vs KL Dragons

Patriots seek rebound from Brunei setback

The Philippine Patriots try to get back on the winning track when they take on the Kuala Lumpur Dragons this Saturday in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Following a six-game winning run, the shorthanded Patriots suffered a humbling 95-70 setback to the Brunei Barracudas last Sunday in Bandar Segi Begawan for just their second loss in the six-nation professional league.

Despite the defeat, the Filipino cagers remain on top of the leaderboard with a 7-2 record but will face an acid test in the Dragons, whom they beat in a hard-fought 73-63 win a month ago in Malaysia.

“We have to play really smart if we want to get back on the winning track,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “We have to win four of last six games to clinch the No. 1 seeding in the semis.”

In losing to the Barracudas, the Patriots played sans young big men Nonoy Baclao after leading Ateneo to the Philippine Collegiate Champions League crown over Far Eastern University and Elmer Espiritu because of a broken cheek bone.

But the good news for coach Louie Alas is that Baclao will return to action while Espiritu remains doubtful since his injury came two weeks ago when he was hit by Satria Muda BritAma's American import Nakiea Miller.

Game Saturday (Ynares Sports Arena)
4PM RP Patriots vs KL Dragons

Patriots seek rebound from Brunei setback

The Philippine Patriots try to get back on the winning track when they take on the Kuala Lumpur Dragons this Saturday in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Following a six-game winning run, the shorthanded Patriots suffered a humbling 95-70 setback to the Brunei Barracudas last Sunday in Bandar Segi Begawan for just their second loss in the six-nation professional league.

Despite the defeat, the Filipino cagers remain on top of the leaderboard with a 7-2 record but will face an acid test in the Dragons, whom they beat in a hard-fought 73-63 win a month ago in Malaysia.

“We have to play really smart if we want to get back on the winning track,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “We have to win four of last six games to clinch the No. 1 seeding in the semis.”

In losing to the Barracudas, the Patriots played sans young big men Nonoy Baclao after leading Ateneo to the Philippine Collegiate Champions League crown over Far Eastern University and Elmer Espiritu because of a broken cheek bone.

But the good news for coach Louie Alas is that Baclao will return to action while Espiritu remains doubtful since his injury came two weeks ago when he was hit by Satria Muda BritAma's American import Nakiea Miller.

Game Saturday (Ynares Sports Arena)
4PM RP Patriots vs KL Dragons

Philippine Patriots to battle KL Dragons

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Patriots will have the KL Dragons as their next assignment when Round 11 matches of the ASEAN Basketball League begins.

The Patriots (7-2), who recently lost to the Brunei Barracudas, 70-95, are looking to get back on track to keep their number one position in the league standings, especially now that Satria Muda BritAma (5-5) just a point behind.

Now back in ABL action against the Dragons are Patriots Nonoy Baclao and Elmer Espiritu, who were absent during their match with the Barracudas.

Baclao was then honoring a previous commitment to play for Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League Finals while the injured Espiritu was nursing a broken cheek bone.

The Patriots versus Dragons match will take place at 4pm at the Ynares Stadium in Rizal on Saturday.

The Patriots will also have the chance to avenge their loss to the Barracudas (4-5) when they face the Brunei-based dribblers on December 21 also at the Ynares Sports Arena.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Slingers (5-4) and Thailand Tigers (3-7) will have a rematch on Thursday, 8 pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Their previous meet on 7 December saw the Slingers fall to the Thailand Tigers, 65-62.

The Singers, who have just 6 more matches to go before the playoffs, will need to get back on winning track after losing their last 3 matches. The Slingers are currently third in the league standings with the Barracudas just a point behind.

Philippine Patriots to battle KL Dragons

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Patriots will have the KL Dragons as their next assignment when Round 11 matches of the ASEAN Basketball League begins.

The Patriots (7-2), who recently lost to the Brunei Barracudas, 70-95, are looking to get back on track to keep their number one position in the league standings, especially now that Satria Muda BritAma (5-5) just a point behind.

Now back in ABL action against the Dragons are Patriots Nonoy Baclao and Elmer Espiritu, who were absent during their match with the Barracudas.

Baclao was then honoring a previous commitment to play for Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League Finals while the injured Espiritu was nursing a broken cheek bone.

The Patriots versus Dragons match will take place at 4pm at the Ynares Stadium in Rizal on Saturday.

The Patriots will also have the chance to avenge their loss to the Barracudas (4-5) when they face the Brunei-based dribblers on December 21 also at the Ynares Sports Arena.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Slingers (5-4) and Thailand Tigers (3-7) will have a rematch on Thursday, 8 pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Their previous meet on 7 December saw the Slingers fall to the Thailand Tigers, 65-62.

The Singers, who have just 6 more matches to go before the playoffs, will need to get back on winning track after losing their last 3 matches. The Slingers are currently third in the league standings with the Barracudas just a point behind.