FIBA ASIA - Fourth quarter rally takes Indonesia to victory

JAKARTA (SEABA Championship/FIBA Asia Championship) - Hosts Indonesia needed a 23-6 fourth quarter blitz to register a 71-60 win over Singapore at the SEABA Championship on Thursday.

Welyanson Situmorang got his team within 54-48 from the foul line at the end of the third quarter and Rastafari Horongbala’s men scored the first seven points of the final period to tilt the balance firmly their way.

Andi Poedjakesuma drove in the lane to edge Indonesia in front 55-54 and the hosts had truly turned the game on its head.

Singapore showed some steely resolve on defense in the middle quarters when they fought back from a 16-14 first quarter deficit to seemingly take control of the proceedings.

But it seemed they had not accounted for their more fancied rivals to hit back in a similar manner on defense, while also unleashing their offensive fury.

That Ponsianus Indrawan, Indonesia’s leading scorer with a dozen points, had only two of them in the final frame spoke volumes for the all-round offense the hosts packed in the fourth quarter.

Indrawan also pulled down 10 rebounds for the only double-double of the game.

Poedjakesuma, Amin Prihantono and Xaverius Prawiro all added nine points each for Indonesia.

Wong Wei Long and Pathman Mathialakan led Singapore’s scoring with 11 points apiece, the former scoring four of his side’s meager six points in the final period.

Lim Shengyu and Steven Khoo, each converting a free-throw,  were the only other scorers for Singapore in the final 10 ten minutes.

Indonesia take on Philippines on Friday, with Singapore facing Malaysia.

The top two teams from the round robin will play Sunday’s finals.

The top three teams at the end of the round robin qualify to represent SEABA in the FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, in September.

The champions in Wuhan will automatically qualify for the London Games while teams that finish second and third will book their places for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

FIBA Asia