UTSUNOMIYA, Japan – TNT put on a much better effort but still fell short, losing to reigning Korean Basketball League champions Seoul SK Knights, 80-69, on Friday at the Nikkan Arena to bow out of the EASL Champions Week.
The Tropang GIGA conceded 11 straight points to the Knights from a 59-59 tie early in the fourth quarter to end the competition with a 0-2 win-loss record despite staying close to the Korean side for majority of the match.
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That capped a disappointing finish to the pocket tournament for the Tropang GIGA, who lost by 33 points against Japan B.League titlist Utsunomiya Brex last Wednesday.
The trio of Jameel Warney, Kim Sunhyung, and Leon Williams orchestrated the breakaway from a tight contest as the Knights finished their Group B campaign with a 1-1 win-loss record.
Warney had 21 points, 19 rebounds, and nine assists, while Kim added 21 points. Williams added 20 points and 21 rebounds including a three-point play that brought Seoul’s lead to 70-59.
Calvin Oftana scored 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field while Jalen Hudson had 14 points and seven rebounds for TNT, which faded late after holding slim leads in the first half.
“Obviously, it was a better game than the last time,” said TNT assistant coach Josh Reyes, who called the shots for the team in the match.
“One practice session went a long way to do what we need to do and Daniel to get accustomed to what we are doing, the terminologies. We were able to clarify it in our one practice. We competed out there,” Reyes said.
Prior to the game, TNT still had a shot at advancing to the battle-for-third. But it needed to win, and for Bay Area to lose to Utsunomiya in the second game in order to do so.
The Tropang GIGA missed Jayson Castro due to an injury.
The Philippines is left with one team in the EASL in San Miguel, which plays Anyang KGC and its Filipino import, Rhenz Abando, on Saturday in Okinawa in its bid to qualify in the battle-for-third game.
The scores:
Seoul SK Knights 80 – Warney 21, Kim 21, Williams 20, Heo 6, Song 4, Choi S. 3, Choi W. 3, Oh 2, Choi B. 0.
TNT 69 – Oftana 16, Hudson 14, M. Williams 13, Ochefu 12, Pogoy 9, Varilla 3, Marcelo 2, Chua 0, Cruz 0, Khobuntin 0, K. Williams 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.
Quarters: 25-28; 41-42; 57-55; 80-69.
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