RP team blasts Montenegro under-20 national team, 99-85

RP team blasted the Montenegro under-20 national team, 99-85, during their tune-up series at the Sports Ecko Sportski Centar in Belgrade, Serbia Monday.

Forward Danny Seigle sustained a hamstring pull and failed to see action for the rest of the game, while Mark Caguioa brushed aside a punching foul he took early in the game.

Though not in the original schedule of teams to face, the Nationals gave up their day-off to play a young, tall team composed of 6-2 point guard Marko Mijovic, 6-4 off-guard Sead Sehovic (200-G-89, agency: Ultimate Sports Agency), 6-6 small forward Aleksa Popovic, 6-9 power forward Milovan Savovic, and 6-10 center Maksim Sturanovic.

The Montis applied the pressure on the Filipinos early and stayed in the passing lanes from the opening buzzer.

This forced the Nationals' starting unit of Jimmy Alapag, Caguioa, Dondon Hontiveros, Ranidel de Ocampo and Asi Taulava to spread the floor and look for backdoor cutting opportunities.

With Seigle coming off the bench, the Nationals took a 26-18 lead after the first quarter, padded it to 51-40 at the half by going to Jayjay Helterbrand and using their experience to offset the absence of Kerby Raymundo (food poisoning) and Tony dela Cruz (strained back).

Sehovic, who was called for a punching foul against Caguioa in the first quarter, returned in the second half to spark his team briefly before getting repelled by the mid-post attacks of Ranidel de Ocampo, Dondon Hontiveros and Caguioa for a 56-43 Team RP advantage.
Source: asian basket