Smart Gilas Pilipinas, the national basketball team won for the country its first William Jones Cup crown since 1998 after beating team USA, 76-75 at the games held in Taipei, Taiwan.
LA Tenorio led the Philippine Team with 20 points, 11 of which were scored in the final quarter. The Filipinos were down 75-74 with only 36 seconds left in the game and it was the jumper of LA Tenorio which pushed a win against the taller American squad.
LA Tenorio was also declared as the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP), as confirmed by Smart Gilas head coach Chot Reyes.
The Philippines was declared the tournament champion after leading the team standings (with a 7-1 card) in the last playing day. Smart Gilas only bowed to Lebanon in the eight games that the team played in the 2012 cup.
It is the fourth time in the 34 year-old tournament that the country won the Jones Cup, the two others being in 1981 via the Northern Consolidated Cement of American coach Ron Jacobs and in 1985 also under the NCC team that included Allan Caidic and Samboy Lim. The Philippine Centennial team of coach Tim Cone was the country's last win prior to the 2012 championships way back in 1998.
Last year, the Smart Gilas team ended up in third place behind Iran and South Korea.
The 2012 Philippine team is composed mostly of professional players from the PBA namely Enrico Villanueva (Ginebra), Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine), Gary David (Powerade), Jeff Chan (Rain or Shine), LA Tenorio (Alaska), Larry Fonacier (Talk N Text), Mac Baracael (Alaska), Ranidel De Ocampo (Talk N Text), Sol Mercado (Meralco) and Sonny Thoss (Alaska); naturalized player Marcus Douthit, and non-pros Fil-Am Matt Rosser and San Beda player Garvo Lanete.
Photo courtesy of Chot Reyes
