JAKARTA - The Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Team badly needs a seven-footer in the lineup. Make that two skyscrapers if you're talking about beating reigning Fiba-Asia king Iran.Mahram Tehran went to its oversized frontline and overpowered Smart Gilas for a 98-87 triumph that gave the Philippines a reality check in the Fiba-Asia Champions Cup.
With two huge imports, the Iranians survived an 11-point deficit in the first half before going full blast, controlling the lanes on both ends of the floor to remove the sting out of the hard-fighting Filipino squad.
CJ Giles fell into early foul trouble and after fetching his fourth with just a few seconds had gone by in the third, RP coach Rajko Toroman pulled the 6-foot-10 banger out of the battlefield and was forced to put up an all-local stand.
Sans Giles in the middle, Smart Gilas became an easy target as Mahram's daunting frontline of Jackson Vroman (6-10), Priest Lauderdale (7-4), Hooman Rezaee (6-10) and Hamed Sohrabnejad (6-9) threw their weight around.
Jackson Vroman, who played for the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA from 2004-2008, erupted for 42 points, 27 in the second half that wiped out the Philippines' 46-44 halftime lead.
A former NBA journeyman, Lauderdale was also unsinkable and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds after making the entire Philippine quintet look like a bunch of school kids with his gigantic frame.
”It only showed that we're weak inside,'' said Toroman after Smart Gilas' first defeat in Group A following a convincing win over Sangmu of Korea the other day.
Toroman, who coached the Iranian team to the Beijing Olympics last year and has four players seeing action with Mahram, is convinced that Smart Gilas should get 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar and two more big men, preferably seven-footers, to have a fighting chance.
``This (Iran) team is stronger than its national team because my best players are here together with two solid former NBA players,'' said Toroman.
But despite the height disparity, the Filipinos didn't let the Iranians blow the game away.
Aldrech Ramos and Jason Ballesteros, both 6-foot-7s, courageously sacrificed themselves to somehow restrain the towering Iranians along with Mac Baracael (6-3) and Dylan Ababou (6-3).
Mark Barocca, Jayvee Casio, RJ Jazul and JR Cawaling were also aggressive on offense from start to finish as the Nationals fired 14 three-pointers to keep pace with the Iranians.
``They (Iranians) played better and used their experience,'' said Toroman of his team also sponsored by ACCEL, Molten, Burlington, Cebu Pacific and Collezione by Rhett Eala.
``But I'm very proud of my players. We showed great character and proved that we can be competitive.''
Successive threes by Giles and Ababou capped by a four-point play by Tiu off Mahdi Kamrany put the Philippines ahead, 18-12.
At one point, the Filipinos even opened up an 11-point lead but the Iranians, stubborn with their pressure defense at the backcourt, trimmed the gap with Vroman and Lauderdale taking turns on wreaking havoc.
Scores
IRAN 98 - Vroman 42, Bahrami 19, Lauderdale 16, Kamrany 8, Sohrabnejad 5, Kabir 3, Veishi 3, Eslameih 2, Nourafza 0, Atashi 0, Rezaee 0.
PHILIPPINES 87 - Barocca 18, Giles 14, Baracael 11, Ababou 11, Casio 9, Jazul 8, Tiu 8, Cawaling 3, Ramos 3, Ballesteros 2, Guevarra 0, Slaughter 0.
Quarters: 16-24, 44-46, 75-63, 98-87
With two huge imports, the Iranians survived an 11-point deficit in the first half before going full blast, controlling the lanes on both ends of the floor to remove the sting out of the hard-fighting Filipino squad.
CJ Giles fell into early foul trouble and after fetching his fourth with just a few seconds had gone by in the third, RP coach Rajko Toroman pulled the 6-foot-10 banger out of the battlefield and was forced to put up an all-local stand.
Sans Giles in the middle, Smart Gilas became an easy target as Mahram's daunting frontline of Jackson Vroman (6-10), Priest Lauderdale (7-4), Hooman Rezaee (6-10) and Hamed Sohrabnejad (6-9) threw their weight around.
Jackson Vroman, who played for the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA from 2004-2008, erupted for 42 points, 27 in the second half that wiped out the Philippines' 46-44 halftime lead.
A former NBA journeyman, Lauderdale was also unsinkable and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds after making the entire Philippine quintet look like a bunch of school kids with his gigantic frame.
”It only showed that we're weak inside,'' said Toroman after Smart Gilas' first defeat in Group A following a convincing win over Sangmu of Korea the other day.
Toroman, who coached the Iranian team to the Beijing Olympics last year and has four players seeing action with Mahram, is convinced that Smart Gilas should get 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar and two more big men, preferably seven-footers, to have a fighting chance.
``This (Iran) team is stronger than its national team because my best players are here together with two solid former NBA players,'' said Toroman.
But despite the height disparity, the Filipinos didn't let the Iranians blow the game away.
Aldrech Ramos and Jason Ballesteros, both 6-foot-7s, courageously sacrificed themselves to somehow restrain the towering Iranians along with Mac Baracael (6-3) and Dylan Ababou (6-3).
Mark Barocca, Jayvee Casio, RJ Jazul and JR Cawaling were also aggressive on offense from start to finish as the Nationals fired 14 three-pointers to keep pace with the Iranians.
``They (Iranians) played better and used their experience,'' said Toroman of his team also sponsored by ACCEL, Molten, Burlington, Cebu Pacific and Collezione by Rhett Eala.
``But I'm very proud of my players. We showed great character and proved that we can be competitive.''
Successive threes by Giles and Ababou capped by a four-point play by Tiu off Mahdi Kamrany put the Philippines ahead, 18-12.
At one point, the Filipinos even opened up an 11-point lead but the Iranians, stubborn with their pressure defense at the backcourt, trimmed the gap with Vroman and Lauderdale taking turns on wreaking havoc.
Scores
IRAN 98 - Vroman 42, Bahrami 19, Lauderdale 16, Kamrany 8, Sohrabnejad 5, Kabir 3, Veishi 3, Eslameih 2, Nourafza 0, Atashi 0, Rezaee 0.
PHILIPPINES 87 - Barocca 18, Giles 14, Baracael 11, Ababou 11, Casio 9, Jazul 8, Tiu 8, Cawaling 3, Ramos 3, Ballesteros 2, Guevarra 0, Slaughter 0.
Quarters: 16-24, 44-46, 75-63, 98-87
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