ASEAN Basketball League honors Philippine Patriots

The Philippine Patriots, who bagged the inaugural ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) crown last month, were presented with their rings during a Championship Dinner held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday.

Two Patriots also received special awards from Southeast Asia’s first professional regional sports league, the ABL Web site reported.

Jason Dixon was named the Best ABL Import while Warren Ybañez got the ABL Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. The ABL League MVP was Attaporn Lertmalaiporn of the Thailand Tigers.

The Championship Presentation Dinner, which capped off ABL’s inaugural season, took place at The Gardens Hotel.

It recognized the basketball supremacy of the Patriots, who won over Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma, 3-0, in the best-of-five finals series. They bagged the ABL title last February 21.

The Satria Muda BritAma members, meantime, received their silver medals during the event.

The ABL said it is looking to expand the number of teams for its second season which begins in October.

The league’s first season was composed of 6 teams: Philippine Patriots, Thailand Tigers, Satria Muda BritAma, Malaysia’s KL Dragons, Brunei Barracudas and Singapore Slingers.

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.com

Patriots reap major awards

KUALA LUMPUR – The Philippine Patriots’ Warren Ybanez bagged the Finals MVP honors, Jason Dixon captured the Best Import award and the rest of the team received their championship rings in the ABL Championship Presentation Dinner here Tuesday.

Ybanez, a hard-nosed player who had had a stint with Red Bull in the PBA, beat teammates Rob Wainwright and Jerwin Gaco for the Finals MVP plum while Dixon was named Best Import, winning over Singapore’s Kyle Jeffers and Indonesia’s Nakiea Miller.

One award, however, slipped away from the Patriots as Thailand Tigers’ Attaporn Lertmalaiporn clinched the ABL League MVP title.

The biggest toast, however, belonged to the whole Philippine Patriots team for its triumphant campaign in the inaugural ABL season capped by its three-game sweep of the Satria Muda BritAma-Indonesia in the best-of-five finale.

Team owners Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangco were on hand to receive the championship trophy in the glittery rites graced by the other ABL team owners, sponsors and founding chief Tony Fernandes of Air Asia.


The team owners had a meeting before the awards ceremony, discussing how they can make ABL games more exciting for its second season starting October.

The plan is to allow the ball clubs to field one more import coming from Asian powerhouse teams like China, Lebanon, Iran and Korea.

In the inaugural tourney, the competing teams were allowed to field two international imports plus recruits from Asean neighbor countries. Thus, Filipino players like Kiko Adriano, Rensy Bajar, Rudy Lingganay, Don Camaso, Leo Avenido, Al Vergara and Axel Doruelo got the chance to play as imports for the other ABL squads.

More Filipino players are expected to see action in the second ABL season as another team from Indonesia and a new ball club from Vietnam have signified their intention to join the league.

Fernandes, a Malaysian billionaire who has also invested in F1 racing, said the ABL is committed to improve the growth of basketball in the region by implementing professional management and marketing savvy to promote and expand the fan base of the sport.

The Air Asia chief executive officer expects tremendous support and a huge profile of followers for ABL in the next few years.

Romero and Cojuangco, meanwhile, reaffirmed their commitment to the league.

The two Filipino businessmen-sportsmen may well become more active members of the league once they finalize a deal with Fernandes for their entry into Air Asia – a giant in budget flights in the Asian region.

Romero, Cojuangco and Fernandes have been talking for the establishment of Air Asia Philippines, starting with a fleet of five aircraft.

At present, Air Asia operates 92 planes, a huge improvement from the time Fernandes took over the business with only two aircraft eight years ago.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Baculi, Alas call shots for Barako Bull in PBA

MANILA, Philippines - Junel Baculi and Louie Alas, who coached the RP teams to the SEABA championship and the Southeast Asian Games, are again joining forces as taking over the coaching rein at Barako Bull in the PBA.

Baculi will be the new head coach with Alas as his chief deputy. Leo Isaac, the former coach, will help as consultant of the team.

The team roster will also be revamped, paving the way for the entry of new faces.

Sources said cinch for spots in the team are Rob Wainwright and Jerwin Gaco. Christian Coronel, Warren Ybanez, Al Vergara and Erwin Sta. Maria are set to try out with the team.

Owner George Chua is out to improve his team’s awful last-placed finish in the recent Philippine Cup.


With Harbour Centre coming in as sponsor, Barako Bull is looking forward for a better showing in the Fiesta Conference, which starts March 21 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Energy Boosters play the Sta. Lucia Realtors in the opening game.

Meanwhile, Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said they now have an import prospect in Lorenzo Wade, a 6-foot-6, 228-pound forward out of San Diego U.

Wade, said to be an open-court player, highly athletic and skillful, last played for the Greece team in the Euro League.

For Baculi, the long wait to be a head coach in the PBA is finally over. He believes he is more than ready for the job, having won championships in the local and international arenas.

He has also been exposed to PBA games, working as assistant to Yeng Guiao at Burger King (now Air21).

Alas had also been with the Talk n Text coaching staff. He is also a winner with championships in the MBA, NCAA, PBL and in the inaugural ABL tourney with the Philippine Patriots.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

With ABL title, Mikee keeps winning streak

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots’ title romp in the recent Asean Basketball League stretched Mikee Romero’s string of victories to 10 with the sportsman/businessman keen on going for the big one.

Cage observers actually had thought Romero would slow down after retiring Harbour Centre last year and introducing an entirely new team in the PBL, which Harbour dominated for years.

But Romero proved them wrong.

Not only did he produce another champion in the Oracle Titans but also in the Patriots, who swept Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma in their best-of-five title series for the inaugural ABL crown recently.

Those brought his total championships to 10, making him the most successful team owner in amateur basketball in recent years.


“Honestly, I did not expect to win 10 championships since all I want is to give my rivals a fierce competition,” said Romero, who co-owns the RP Patriots with businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco. “But all these championships were not given on a silver platter. We worked hard to win them.”

After losing two straight games late in the ABL elims, Romero and team manager Erick Arejola decided to bring in former PBA Best Import winner Gabe Freeman to reinforce the team. The move clicked as the Patriots swept their next seven games to become the first ABL champion team.

Romero’s two other international titles were the SEABA Club championship and the Thailand SEA Games which his team both won in 2007, the year he completed a Grand Slam.

“That was perhaps my best year in Philippine basketball because I won four titles, including two in the PBL,” said Romero.

After winning its sixth straight PBL titles, Romero used the name of the other company his family owned - Oracle Residences - in the PBL. After struggling early, the Titans won the franchise’s seventh title by beating Pharex in the PBL Unity Cup.

Despite his success the last five years, Romero is still longing for a big one.

“I’m still dreaming of having my own team in the PBA, and I hope I will realize it while I’m still young,” said the 38-year-old Romero.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

PBA stint next big thing for RP Patriots owner

MANILA, Philippines - With no less than 10 championships in the local and international scenes, Harbour Centre owner Mikee Romero still yearns to achieve one big dream – his team playing and winning a crown in the Philippine Basketball Association.

“I still believe it will happen someday,” said Romero, looking for that ultimate glory after having savored triumphs in the PBL, the SEABA, the SEA Games and most recently the Asean Basketball League (ABL).

“I will wait for the right opportunity. Who knows, there’ll be a team that will sell its franchise for a good price. Or the league opens for expansion,” Romero also said.

“But I won’t enter in a tie-up anymore. It’s hard,” added Romero, recalling his first attempt to join the PBA in partnership with the Lina Group of Companies.

After the plan to take over the Air21 team didn’t push through, Romero played one more tournament in the PBL, nailing a seventh straight championship with Oracle Residences.


Then came his big jump to the ABL with his Philippine Patriots, co-owned by Tonyboy Cojuangco, ruling the league’s maiden tourney.

Romero and the members of the team fly to Kuala Lumpur next week to receive their championship rings.

“It’s so satisfying. I’m blessed with hardworking players and coaching staff. With their hard work came these 10 championships,” said Romero.

In beating Indonesia’s SM Britama team for the ABL championship, the Patriots gained outright seeding in the 2010 FIBA Asia Champions Cup slated in Lebanon in May.

Smart Gilas, the team being prepared for the Asian Olympic qualifier next year, vies for a slot in the Asian Champions Cup as it competes in the SEABA qualifying tourney.

“It’s a good opportunity to play Smart Gilas in the Champions Cup,” said Romero, who’s hoping to sign up University of the East prolific guard Paul Lee to beef up his team for the Champs Cup.

A big question is whether import Gabe Freeman would be available to play for the team in that tourney. Freeman is set to return with the San Miguel squad in the forthcoming PBA Fiesta Conference.

The other Patriots import is former Coca-Cola reinforcement Jason Dixon.

Among coach Louie Alas’ key local players are Rob Wainwright, Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu, Jerwin Gaco, Warren Ybanez and Christian Coronel.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Dixon, Freeman willing to play for RP Patriots again

Imports Jason Dixon and Gabe Freeman are both open to going on a second tour of duty with the Philippine Patriots, whom they steered to the first-ever ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) crown.

“Well, if given another chance, why not," said Dixon. “I like this team, it has the will to win. That’s the attitude I want for a team."

If he’s free, Gabe Freeman is also willing to have a return stint with the Patriots.

“This is a great team, the management is good, I like them. I like to play for a winning team since I hate to lose," said Freeman.

Dixon and Freeman played key roles in the Patriots’ 75-67 win that enabled them to sweep their best-of-five title series with Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma Sunday at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta.

Team co-owner Mikee Romero and coach Louie Alas also relish the idea of getting the dynamic duo back when the ABL’s second conference opens shop in October.

“They’re perfect combination, Jason is a very good inside operator while Gabe is a versatile player. If they want to play for us again, then it’s OK for us," said Romero, who co-owns the team with Tonyboy Cojuangco.

“But before thinking about the next tournament, let’s enjoy this championship first. This is a sweet first for us. This is great for Philippine basketball," he added.

Saving his best for last, the 6-foot-10 Dixon exploded for 28 points aside from grabbing 12 boards.

“Well, it’s time to win and it’s time to go home," said Dixon.

Freeman had one of his poor shooting nights but still finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds. He also made life miserable for the usually hot-scoring Alex Hartman of Satria Muda.

With their championship, Romero believes the five other teams in the league, including Indonesia, will intensify their build-up for the next conference.

“That’s for sure, they’re going to form a much competitive team in order to stop us. But we know the formula already, so we will just prepare early," he said.

Team manager Erick Arejola also disclosed that they already have in mind players the Patriots will take in the event collegiate stars Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu, Khazin Mirza and Val Acuna turn pro this year.

“The four might turn pro, so we need new faces for the team. But we’ll only get players who are willing to sacrifice for the country," said Arejola.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

RP Patriots clinch ABL crown

JAKARTA, Indonesia – The Philippine Patriots found a one-man wrecking crew in Jason Dixon as they overpowered Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma, 75-67, in a bruising game to win the crown in the first ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) with a three-game sweep yesterday at the BritAma Arena here.

With former PBA import Gabe Freeman off-target, Dixon provided the firepower inside with 28 points to help the Patriots pull away from a tight and bruising encounter and capture the inaugural championship of the first regional basketball tournament.

Dixon provided the impetus for a breakaway in the second quarter as the Patriots grabbed the lead, 35-31, at halftime after putting up a long, furious chase in the first 15 minutes of the game.

He also had 12 rebounds for his 15th double-double performance while Freeman had 17 markers and 19 boards.

With the win, the Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre Mikee Romero and businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco, completed a grand sweep of their best-of-five championship which started in Manila.


They took Game 1, 78-68, and Game 2, 72-53.

Again, Patriots coach Louie Alas paid tribute to their defense for the win, saying: “The whole season we really emphasized on defense, especially this series.”

Despite the jeers and taunts of the Indonesian crowd, the Patriots refused to be intimidated, and in fact, they were the ones who played aggressively and passionately, especially on the defensive end.

“I told the boys to play as if we’re in the jungle and they responded well,” said Alas, who also personally ended his title drought.

The last time Alas savored the sweet taste of winning a championship was back in the 2005 when he steered the Letran Knights to victory.

“It’s nice to win a championship again,” said Alas.

Alas’ joy was shared by Romero although the amiable owner is no stranger to winning, having won a record seven straight championships in the PBL.

“It’s a difficult win but it’s a great feeling. I want also to salute the Indons for giving us a good fight the whole time,” said Romero, who arrived here to support the team along with wife Sheila and daughter.

Also shining for the Patriots were Warren Ybanez, Jerwin Gaco, Christian Coronel, defensive specialists Nonoy Baclao and Elmer Espiritu and Rob Wainwright.

The Patriots took a 13-point lead in the third quarter and padded it to 68-52 early in the fourth quarter when Coronel completed a steal and Freeman scored on an inside play.

But the Indons fought back mightily with Rony Gunawan burying two triples in a vicious 10-2 blast enabled them to cut the Patriots lead down to eight points, 62-70.

But a three-point play by Dixon eased the tension that started to build for the RP Patriots camp.

A triple by Nakeai Miller pushed the Indons to within 65-73 but it proved to be their last hurrah as Gaco, who was earlier slapped a technical foul after planting en elbow to the eyes of Gunawan, sealed the deal with a side jumper barely 48 ticks left.

The scores:

Philippines 75 – Dixon 28, Freeman 17, Wainwright 9, Gaco 9, Ybañez 7, Sta. Maria 3, Coronel 2, Alcaraz 0, Acuña 0, Espiritu 0, Baclao 0, Mirza 0.

Indonesia 67 – Gunawan R. 20, Hartman 14, Miller 13, Prihantono 9, Sondakh 8, Wuysang 2, Wijaya 1, Achmad 0, Gunawan G. 0, Siregar 0, Situmorang 0, Arifin 0.

Quarterscores: 13-17, 35-31, 64-52, 75-67

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

RP Patriots shoot for first ABL title vs Satria Muda

JAKARTA, Indonesia – The Philippine Patriots go for a sweep of the first-ever championship of the ASEAN Basketball League today against Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma here.

The opportunity to win the honor as the first champion team of the league looks big and enticing, after they took Game 1 (78-68) and Game 2 (72-53), but coach Louie Alas is not taking the mission easily.

Knowing the perils of playing before a hostile crowd, Alas is expecting nothing but a battle royale.

“It could be a bruising game,” said Alas.

No matter what the Indonesian club would do on the court, the Patriots, according to Alas, are all fired up for their 5 p.m. encounter.


“The hostile crowd is already a given factor,” said Alas. “Another thing is officiating. But if you think about it, nothing will happen to us here. Right now, we have a clear mindset. We have to focus on our game plan. If we allow ourselves to be distracted by those factors, then we have to stay here for few more days.”

Game 4 is scheduled on Wednesday also at the BritAma gym, and if necessary, Game 5 will be held on Sunday in Manila.

But don’t tell that to former PBA Best Import winner Gabe Freeman.

The 6-foot-5 Freeman, who sizzled for a tournament-high 39 points in Game 1, does not like the idea of staying here for three more days, saying: “I have to meet somebody in Manila, we have an important matter to discuss, so let’s go on and play hard on Sunday.”

If they can close the series today, it will give co-team owner Mikee Romero his eight straight championships, counting his record seven title run in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL)

“Winning the first championship is always sweet, so I hope we could bring home the crown,” Romero, who was expected to arrive here Saturday along with team manager Erick Arejola.

Business tycoon Tonyboy Cojuangco, Romero’s co-team owner, also challenged the Patriots to wage a war as if there’s no tomorrow since the country’s lofty status in the region is at stake in the series.

Just like Romero and Cojuangco, everybody in the team wants a piece of history.

“I decided to play for the Patriots because I want them to win the first championship of the league. If possible, I want to win it on Sunday,” said Freeman.

Again, Alas said defense holds the key to their success. Alas also expects that Indonesia’s import Alex Hartman and Nakiea Miller will attack the hoop at every opportunity in the hope of getting a foul from either Freeman or Jason Dixon.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

ASEAN basketball crown within reach of Patriots

Rob Wainwright came off the bench and scored 16 points as the locals of the Philippine Patriots stepped up in leading the team to a lopsided 72-53 win over Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma in Game 2 of the 1st ASEAN Basketball League on Wednesday night at The Arena in San Juan City.

Wainwright made four of his eight three-point attempts, two of which coming in the second period where the Patriots broke out of a tight first half contest to enjoy a 41-26 halftime spread.

Wainwright replaced Gabe Freeman after the American import picked up his third personal foul in the second quarter where he scored 11 of his total output.

"The locals really stepped up for this game especially Rob. Team owner Mikee Romero challenged them to show their worth because this is not a battle of imports. So I’m glad they played very well," said coach Louie Alas.

Satria Muda BritAma tried to mount a rally but Freeman, Christian Coronel, Nonoy Baclao and Jason Dixon joined hands to lead the Patriots’ strong finish.

The Indonesians moved to within six, 52-46, on Mario Wuysang’s second three-pointer early in the final period.

But that was the closet Satria Muda could get as Freeman and Coronel buried consecutive three-pointers while Dixon and Baclao helped in the defensive end as the Patriots used a closing 20-4 run to finally silence their opponents.

Freeman paced the Patriots with 23 points and also grabbed 14 rebounds while Dixon added 11 markers, 12 rebounds and two shot blocks.

"We also did very well defensively. Our imports managed to contain Satria Muda’s reinforcements and that was one of the key," added Alas.

The win gave the Patriots a commanding 2-0 lead in the short best-of-five series.

Still Alas believes winning a third game is not easy as what people thinks after the one-sided contest.

"Closing out the series is the toughest part in a championship. They will host Game 3 and I expect a hard game with the hostile crowd backing them up. But winning the crown on the road is sweet and we have to prepare more on the mental side so we can perform much better than this game," added Alas.

Losing coach Fictor Roring blamed the defeat to the poor performance of his imports.

"Our locals played well but our imports struggled and you can see the margin of their game compared to Freeman and Dixon. I’m glad we’re going home because we play with more confidence at home. But we have to get better games from Hartman and Miller because I believe that they key to win the ABL title is the performance of the imports," said Roring who now holds a 0-4 record against the Patriots this season.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Patriots win shy of ABL crown

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots took a step closer to becoming the first Asean Basketball League champion as it plastered Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma, 72-53, at The Arena in San Juan late Wednesday to move within a win from sweeping their best-of-five title series.

The Patriots played aggressive on defense and proved unrelenting on offense, using a decisive 20-4 run in the fourth quarter to all but wrap up the game at 72-50 with a little over two minutes left in the contest.

The Indonesians struggled all game in the face of the Patriots’ suffocating defense anchored on imports Gabe Freeman, Jason Dixon, Nonoy Baclao and guard Christian Coronel.

“Defensively, it was a job well done and I hope we could bring the same amount of energy in Jakarta,” said coach Louie Alas, whose wards thumped the Indonesians, 78-68, in the series opener.

The win – their fifth over the visitors dating back to the elims – put the Patriots of Harbour Centre CEO and president Mikee Romero and businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco within a victory from sweeping their best-of-five title series.


But the Patriots will have to do it on a hostile turf as the Indonesians host the Filipinos at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta on Sunday.

“I want to win because it’s tough to play in front of a hostile crowd,” said Alas, whose team leaves today.

Freeman started poorly, missing a couple of shots from close range, but found his rhythm in time before getting into foul trouble, completing another double-double job of 24 points and 14 rebounds.

“This is I think perhaps one of our sweetest wins in the tournament. That’s because our locals did their share,” said Romero, referring to Rob Wainwright, Baclao and Coronel.

Wainwright took charge as the foul-riddled Freeman rode the bench, making two triples in the second quarter, helping the Patriots erect a 41-26 halftime lead.

Source: Joey Villar  | Philstar.com

Philippine Patriots edge cloesr to ABL championships.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010, – The Philippine Patriots have put themselves within touching distance of the inaugural ASEAN Basketball League championship with a resounding 72-53 victory over Satria Muda Britama in Game 2 of the grand finals at the Fil Oil Flying V Arena, Manila
Wednesday, February 17, 2010, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots have put themselves within touching distance of the inaugural ASEAN Basketball League championship with a resounding 72-53 victory over Satria Muda Britama in Game 2 of the grand finals at the Fil Oil Flying V Arena, Manila.

Patriots coach Louis Alas had called for a more sustained defensive effort and got it this time, holding the Indonesian champions to just 53 points.

With a 2-0 lead, the series now shifts to Jakarta where Satria Muda will be hoping that their home court will be as kind to them as Manila was to the Patriots. With their backs to the walls, Satria Muda need some inspiration to get anywhere near the Patriots, who are still unbeaten after adding import Gabe Freeman to their lineup.

Freeman was at his usual brilliant best with 23 points and 13 rebounds but when he had to sit down after being saddled with 3 fouls in the second quarter, it was local Filipino Rob Wainwright who took over the scoring mantle.

Doing the majority of his damage with Freeman on the bench, Wainwright finished with 16 points, 11 of those coming in the first half, yet another testament to the strength in depth that the Patriots can call upon.

As for the Indonesians, it was yet another disappointing outing for their import duo of Alex Hartman and Nakiea Miller finishing with 12 and 11 points respectively, figures which are simply not good enough if the Indonesians are to have any chance whatsoever of making this series a competitive one.

Miller did get into double digits for rebounding with 10 rebounds but it is apparent that without the injured local Christian Sitepu to help him out on the boards, it may be taking its toll on the enigmatic center.

In fact, SMB’s top scorer for the game was their local star Rony Gunawan who surprised the Patriots with 15 markers but all in vain as the Patriots held Hartman and Miller in check, the frustration clearly showing on the faces of the beleaguered American duo.

Not that the home side had it all their own way. When Hartman hit one of his three 3-pointers to kick off the fourth quarter, SMB were down by just 6 points then with the score being 52-46 in favour of the Filipinos. But a 13-0 run by the Patriots put paid to any comeback hopes for the Indonesians.

The run was sparked by a 3-pointer from their point guard Christian Coronel whose aggressive defense on his Indonesian counterpart Mario Wuysang might have been called for fouls had this game been played in any other city except Manila, yet another advantage of home court comforts.

The 13-0 run ballooned the lead to 19 and was just too much for SMB to dig themselves out of and the Patriots were able to cruise all the way home to what many now perceive as an unassailable series lead and gives them the chance to go for a series clinching victory this Sunday in Jakarta.

For SMB, both Hartman and Miller need to find some way to get themselves out of their shooting funk and establish their presence in the series. For starters, they will definitely be more of a factor on their home court but will be hoping that they haven’t left it too late against a potent Patriots lineup.

Source: Author Unknown  | aseanbasketballleague.com

Patriots seek 2-0 lead vs Indonesians

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots hope to make the most of their homecourt edge and build a 2-0 cushion heading to Indonesia as they go for a two-to-nil lead against Satria Muda BritAma in Game Two of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) Championship today at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Patriots banked on imports Gabe Freeman and Jason Dixon in the final quarter to fashion out a 78-68 victory in the opener of their best-of-five series last Friday.

It was actually the fourth straight victory by the Patriots over the Indonesians, whom they swept in the elims but the hosts remain wary of their rivals heading into their 8 p.m. encounter.

“For the past three days, we devised ways on breaking their pressure zone defense. It’s very hard but the boys are improving,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas. “I told them that we beat them in our first three games with our own defense, now it’s time to show to them that we can play smart defense.”

Alas also stressed that Freeman joined the team just recently, replacing Brandon Powell near the end of the elims.


“We did not win those games through our offense, our defense did it for us,” Alas said.

Harbour Centre president and CEO Mikee Romero and co-owner businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco also believe that the local crew, led by Rob Wainwright, Nonoy Baclao, Val Acuna, Erwin Sta. Maria, Elmer Espiritu, Warren Ybanez and JP Alcaraz, will have to do their share to ease the load off their imports on the offensive end.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

Patriots coach wants 'consistent defense' from wards

Patriots' import Gabe Freeman

The Philippine Patriots will have to play solid defense for the entire game if they want to erect a 2-0 lead against Satria Muda BritAma in their best-of-five Asean Basketball League Finals.

“We were very inconsistent defensively in Game One. Our job will be a lot easier if we can be consistent on the defensive end," said coach Louie Alas, analyzing what happened in Game One which the Patriots won, 78-68, Friday night at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

With their defense somewhat softening, the Patriots blew a seven-point halftime lead and allowed Satria Muda BritAma to take a 56-50 lead early in the third canto.

The Patriots only went berserk in the final 10 minutes of play to score the win and jump the gun on the visiting Indon team, spearheaded by Gabe Freeman who exploded with a league-high 39 points and inspired keys runs when the visitors were threatening.

Freeman scored six straight points to ice the count one last time before Warren Ybañez and Jaypee Alcaraz ended the third quarter with back-to-back baskets to give the Patriots a 60-58 lead.

There was no stopping the Patriots from extending their winning streak at home to 10 as Freeman scored six in a 12-2 bomb that pushed the hosts to a 72-60 advantage halfway through the final quarter.

Freeman also had 14 rebounds while fellow import Jason Dixon added 13 points and 17 boards.

The 6'10" Dixon also played solid defense against Indon import Nakiea Miller, whom he held down to just three points in the final period. Miller finished with 22 points, aside from 10 rebound and three blocks.

Alexander Hartman, who scored 30 points in the Indonesians’ semis-clinching win over the Singapore Slingers, was limited to just 12 points on a poor 4-of-15 shooting.

Freeman said he just did what he needed to do to help the team win.

“But we have to take this game seriously. We have to come out with better intensity in Game Two," said Freeman.

That statement was echoed by Alas, who hopes his locals will be able to contribute and not just rely on the efforts of their two imports next time.

“My worry is the players’ tendency to rely too much on the scoring abilities of our imports. They feel if we can outscore our rival we can win but the true barometer of this team is defense and I hope they will learn from this experience," Alas said.

Game Two will be held on February 17 at The Arena in San Juan starting at 8 pm. - GMANews.TV

The scores:

RP Patriots 78 - Freeman 39, Dixon 13, Wainwright 9, Sta Maria 8, Ybanez 5, Alcaraz 2, Espiritu 2, Baclao 0, Gaco 0, Coronel 0, Acuna 0.

Satria Muda BritAma 68 - Miller 22, Hartman 12, Wuysang 11, Gunawan 10, Sondakh 9, Achmad 3, Wijaya 1, Frihantono 0, Sitomobang 0.

Quarters: 23-19; 48-41; 60-58; 78-68.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Patriots take first game

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots rode on the strong performances of imports Gabe Freeman and Jason Dixon as they survived a stubborn Satria Muda Indonesia side, 78-68, to gain the headstart in their best-of-five title duel in the Asean Basketball League at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City last night.

Freeman, a former import in the PBA, came away with a league-high 39 points on an impressive 16-of-28 shooting in a solid offensive game he spiked with 14 rebounds, two steals, one assist and a block.

The bull-strong Dixon, another former PBA reinforcement, was equally impressive as he nailed his 14th double-double performance in 15 games in this fledgling league, finishing with 13 points and 17 rebounds. He also made three assists, two steals and two shotblocks.

But defense, particularly in the second half, keyed the victory for the hosts.

“We were very inconsistent in our defense because we were relying so much on outscoring our opponent,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas. “It would have been easier had we played consistently – defensively.”


The Patriots hope to raise the level of their game on Wednesday when they gun for a 2-0 lead in the series, which shifts to The Arena in San Juan.

Game Three is set in Jakarta, Indonesia on Feb. 21 while Games 4 and 5, if necessary, are scheduled on Feb. 24 and 28, respectively.

“We will use our defense as our barometer in Game Two,” said Alas.

Alas also warned his locals not to rely too much on their explosive imports.

“The boys have a tendency of relying on our imports too much. Thankfully, Gabe and Jason kept on encouraging the locals,” said Alas.

Fil-Am and former pro Rob Wainright led the locals with nine points.

Satria Muda imports Nakeia Miller and Alex Hartman paced their team with 22 and 12 points, respectively, but the two just had no answer to the prolific Patriots’ imports’ offensive.

The Indonesians, however, refused to give up as they battled back from nine points down in the first half to wrest a 56-50 lead in the third quarter.

But Freeman took over, scoring almost at will, while the rest backed him up with a gritty defense that took the sting out of the Indonesians.

Source: Joey Villar  | Philstar.com

Patriots see tougher Indons side

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots and the Satria Muda BritAma of Indonesia clash today at the start of their best-of-five title series in the first ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Championship at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

For beating the Indons three times and topping the grueling triple-round elims that dragged on for almost three months, the Patriots can well afford to be confident in the series, especially with the home court advantage.

But they vow to go all out against the Indons in their 6 p.m. tussle. In fact, co-team owner Mikee Romero of Harbour Centre and coach Louie Alas expect a different Satria Muda BritAma to show up in the finals.

“The finals series is totally different from the elimination, so I expect an exciting showdown and mouth-watering match-ups in the series,” said Romero, who is hoping to extend his record championship run to eight.

The Harbour Centre franchise won seven straight championships in the PBL – a feat never been done before in the history of the country’s premier amateur league.


As the Patriots troop to the court today, focus will be on former PBA Best Import awardee Gabe Freeman who vowed to help the team win the series by a sweep.

Admission is free.

“I don’t want to lose a game, so I want to sweep them,” said Freeman, who averaged 17.5 points and 14 rebounds since replacing Brandon Powell late in the elims.

His match-up against Indonesia’s Alex Hartman is expected to provide another color to what is expected to be a bruising series.

Jason Dixon, the Patriots’ other import, must impose his will in the shaded lane to limit the scoring production of Nakiea Miller. Dixon is expected to get support from high-leaping Elmer Espiritu and defensive specialists Nonoy Baclao and Gerwin Gaco.

“Winning the maiden staging of the league is always sweet, so we’re going to bring our finest game to the series,” said Romero, who also funded the Philippine team that won the 2007 SEABA Champions Cup and the SEA Games title in 2007.

Alas sees no problem with the match-ups, including with the imports, but emphasized that whoever puts up a good defensive strategy wins the series.

“It’s going to boil down to defense. We have to improve what we did defensively in our last three games to win the championship,” said Alas, who is gunning for his first championship in five years.

One thing going for the Patriots, Alas said, is the creativity and aggressiveness of his backcourt, namely: Christian Coronel, JP Alcaraz and Warren Ybanez.

“They have proven their worth many times and they’re all eager to win one for the country this time around,” said Alas of his players who have not yet donned the RP colors during their amateur days.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

Patriots to use homecourt vs Satria Muda in finals

The imports of the Philippine Patriots will help the locals take advantage of playing home court when they meet Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma in the best-of-five finals series of the inaugural ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).

Former San Miguel import Gabe Freeman said during Tuesday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue that there is no point in playing if they are going to lose the first two games here in the Philippines.

“We have to win the first two home games. That’s a must. Because we have homecourt advantage, if we don’t then we’re just wasting our time,” said the 6-foot-6 inch tall import.

The ABL Grand Finals will kick off on February 12 (Friday), 6 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Game 2 will be held on February 17 (Wednesday), 8 p.m. at the Fil Oil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

The series will then proceed to Jakarta for Game 3 on February 21 (Sunday), 3 p.m. at The BritAma.

If needed, Game 4 will take place on February 24 (Wednesday), 8 p.m. at The BritAma Arena while Game 5 will be held on February 28 (Sunday), 4 p.m. at the Ynares Sports Arena.

Jason Dixon, for his part, said they would have to take control of Satria Muda’s speed to dictate the pace of the game.

Among those in their radar is Satria Muda’s Nakiea Miller, who helped the Indonesian team get past the Singaporean Slingers.



“The key to stopping them is to stop their imports from having big time games. We can’t allow them to score 20-30 points,” said the 6-foot-9 defender.

Coach Louie Alas said he sees weakness in Satria Muda’s game. He said that this will be their target to win the series.

“They (BritAma) are very good if you allow them to execute their offense, pero it’s a different thing when you disrupt them,” he said.

The Patriots clinched the first finals spot last week after sweeping the best-of-three semifinals series against Malaysia’s KL Dragons, 2-0.

Satria Muda BritAma, on the other hand, edged the Singapore Slingers, 86-76, in Game 3 last Sunday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The Slingers prevailed in Game 1 while the Satria Muda won Game 2 to force a decider.

According to the ABL website, the Patriots hold a 3-0 advantage over the Satria Muda in the regular season.

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.com

Philippine Patriots hungry and eager

Gabe Freeman said Tuesday playing in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) is more physical than in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), but the level of competition is still a notch lower than the more established pro league.

"ABL is more physical than the PBA. But the difference of both leagues is that a lot of young and eager guys who want to accomplish a lot of things. In the PBA, they are already set, they are already accomplished," Freeman said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum.

Freeman, the 6-foot-6 import of the Philippine Patriots, led the San Miguel Beermen to last year's PBA crown.

He believes that a lot of his teammates are hungry and eager to play in order to get a shot of making it to the PBA ranks.

Among them players are ex-UAAP cagers Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu, Val Acuña, and Khasim Mirza and PBL veterans Jerwin Gaco, JP Alcaraz, and Erwin Sta Maria.

"I think these guys here are hungrier because they haven't made there yet, that's their goal," he said.

"My thing is, I don't want to lose a game so they can take that whatever they want to take it but we don't want to lose a game," said Freeman. "We’re not here to lose so my prediction is we want to sweep them. That's any athlete or any team wants to do."

Source: Jonas Terrado  | Manila Bulletin

Patriots confident of winning ABL crown

The Philippine Patriots have no doubt in their minds that they will romp off with the 1st ASEAN Basketball League title.

Imports Jason Dixon and Gabe Freeman and local player Jerwin Gaco on Tuesday expressed confidence the team will be able to handle the challenge of Satria Muda BritAma of Indonesia in their best-of-five title series beginning Friday.

“I don’t want to disrespect the Indonesian team but personally, I believe it will be three to one in our favor," said Dixon during the PSA Forum in Manila. “We can score a win in their own court."

Under the ABL’s format, the Patriots will host the first two games while Satria Muda BritAma will host Game 3 and if necessary, Game 4. The deciding Game 5, if necessary, will get back to the Patriots’ turf.

“We have the home court advantage and if we win our first two games, ninety percent the title is ours," said the veteran Gaco.

Coach Louie Alas shared his players’ confidence although he stressed the importance of being in their best shape against the tough BritAma quintet.

The Patriots swept the Indonesian team in three elimination meetings but Alas said the championship series is a different ball game.

“The Indonesian team is a disciplined team and boasts of two imports in Alexander Hartman and Nakiea Miller who can explode at any point in the game. Winning the series is easier said than done. But I’m confident we will win this series and be the champion. Nobody remembers the runners-up and that is our motivation," said Alas.



Defense, according to the veteran mentor, will be the key as he eyes to stop the Indonesian imports aside from pressuring their ballhandlers.

“One thing that I have noticed with the BritAma team is that they have no legitimate point-guard, So our plan is to really pressure their guards and let other players bring the ball down," Alas said.

Dixon will be taking care of Miller whom he describes as a player with speed and a good outside shooting.

“I don’t expect him to play physical with me but he has good speed and can hit his outside shot. But we have laid down plans on how to stop him," said Dixon.

Freeman will be matching up with Hartman who exploded with 30 points in their deciding Game 3 against the favored Singapore Slingers.

“He’s good but I’m not worried about him. I will just go out there and do what I have to do to help this team win," said Freeman, a former PBA Best Import Awardee who steered San Miguel Beer to the title in the last conference.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Being ready key to Patriots victory – Alas

After a remarkable comeback victory over the KL Dragons that enabled them to sweep the semifinal round of the ASEAN Basketball League, Philippine Patriots coach Louie Alas bared his thoughts on his team's possible opponent in the best-of-five finals that starts next Friday.

Alas believes that both the Singapore Slingers and Jakarta-based Satria Muda BritAma are two contrasting teams that are capable of giving the Patriots a tough challenge in the championship round that will decide the league's inaugural champion.

"Singapore is a more organized team but I feel that Indonesia (BritAma) has a very deep bench and their locals are much stronger so you can't pick any of these teams," said Alas. "What we'll have to do is we have to develop our mental toughness, especially on the road."

Alas also believes that the nine-day rest will play a huge factor for the Patriots although it will boil down to how they prepare for the series.

"For me, this rest will be an advantage for us because we can rest our import, check our strengths and weakness and at the same time scout their game on Sunday (Game 3)," Alas said. "Disadvantage, though, is that we will be a bit rusty but I think we can make up for that because of our home court advantage."

The Patriots shot an abysmal 25-percent shooting along with poor defense in the first half as the Dragons, supported by a boisterous crowd, made 63-percent of their shots that gave them a 16-point advantage early in the second quarter.

Source: Jonas Terrado  | Manila Bulletin

Patriots claim first ABL finals berth

KUALA LUMPUR — The Philippine Patriots bucked a lethargic start to score a 70-65 come-from-behind win over the Kuala Lumpur Dragons and claim the first finals berth in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Wednesday at the MABA Stadium here.

The Patriots rode on another splendid performance from their veteran guards before turning to the 6-foot-10 American Jason Dixon who provided the finishing touches to complete a sweep of their best-of-three semifinal series.

The squad co-owned by Harbour Centre Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangco, will face either the Singapore Slingers or Satria Muda BritAma of Indonesia in the finals. The Indons forced a playoff in their own semis series with a convincing 74-45 win.

Dixon had 22 points, including a completed three-point play that gave the Patriots a breather, 68-63, with a little over two minutes left. He also had 11 rebounds for his 12th double-double in 14 games.

"We were very complacent in the first half," said coach Louie Alas. "Luckily, we were able to talk to ourselves at halftime that we must keep our toughness on the defensive end and I guess that's the story of the game."

Gabe Freeman had 6-of-18 shooting from the field but still finished with 17 boards and 12 boards.

The backcourt tandem of Jaypee Alcaraz and Warren Ybanez overcame early foul trouble to finish with seven points, four rebounds and two assists and five points, four assists and two steals, respectively.

But one of the key factors for their win was forward Jerwin Gaco, who used his defensive skills to provide the spark they needed. Gaco wound up with six points, one rebound, one assist, and one block.

"We relied too much on our imports and we rarely attacked the basket in the first half," said Alas. "But when Jerwin came in the third quarter, he was attacking aggressively. That was the key because JP, Warren and Christian (Coronel) followed suit."

The scores:
RP PATRIOTS 70 — Dixon 22, Freeman 17, Alcaraz 7, Wainwright 6, Gaco 6, Ybanez 5, Coronel 5,
Sta Maria 2, Acuna 0, Baclao 0.

KL DRAGONS 65 — Kuete 20, Lingganay 13, Loh 12, Brown 11, Hugnatan 7, Wee 0, Ng 0, Koh 0, Chee 0.

Quarters: 13-22; 32-40; 50-55; 70-65.

Source: Jonas Terrado  | Manila Bulletin