Slingers defeat Philippines’ Meralco Bolts 77-64 for second ABL pre-season win

Story by REDintern Ethan Lou. Photos by Vanessa Lim/Red Sports and Tan Jon Han/Red Sports

Singapore Indoor Stadium, Monday, September 13, 2010 — The Singapore Slingers defeated the Philippines’ Meralco Bolts 77-64 for their second consecutive victory in their pre-season preparations for the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).

As opposed to their last match against Rain or Shine, the Slingers had a a tougher fight against a more aggressive opponent who were here to play some serious ball.

“We played well though we started off shitty. We were not too sure during the first half and we missed our first four shots. We were not running enough offense, but we did have a solid defense. It was well fought and they gave us a hard time,” analyzed Slingers coach, Neo Beng Siang.

“A couple of our boys were really under a lot a pressure. Especially (Wong) Wei Long and Steven (Khoo) who played well for the previous match. There was a lot of pressure on them and a lot was expected from them. There was just too much pressure on them and that affected their confidence level. (Ng) Han Bin really stepped up, though,” he added.

The teams were evenly matched in the first quarter and the first 10 minutes concluded with the Slingers leading 13-10.

The second quarter saw the Bolts taking the lead for the first time through a three-pointer by Rogemar Menor (Bolts #33) four minutes in for the Bolts to lead 17-15 but the Slingers reclaimed the lead courtesy of Kyle Jeffers (Slingers #31). The home boys then put together an 8-0 run for their biggest lead of the half at 28-21 before walking off 28-23 leaders at the half.

In the second half, the Bolts dispelled any notion that they were playing holiday basketball as they played aggressively, a point Slingers’ general manager Michael Johnson noted.

“The first half was patchy and the second half just turned ugly. They (The Bolts) were not going to give us any slack. The only way was to tough it out,” said Johnson.

The third quarter saw the the Bolts committing foul after the foul as they failed to come to terms with the local umpires. The Bolts made it a two-point game, trailing 32-24 but the Slingers did not let them come any nearer as Marcus Skinner (Slingers #35) and Desmond Oh (Slingers #2) stretched their lead to nine points at 49-40. The Slingers finished the third leading 56-48 with Ng Han Bin (Slingers #21) stepping up in the final minute.

Tensions ran high in the fourth quarter as the umpires made unsatisfying calls that made the Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio and his fellow assistant coaches jump up from their bench frequently to protest.

“We needed to adjust to the referee, however we did not. We’ll only adjust to the Manila’s officials. Back home, they officiate differently. The league (Philippine Basketball Association) is more physical,” was Ryan’s response when quizzed about those calls.

Slingers’ Al Vegara said: “I don’t think the referee is too unfair. They (Bolts) are just not used to the referee’s calls.”

A three-pointer by Marcus Skinner gave the Slingers a 59-48 lead and they maintained their 11-point lead all the way until the eighth minute of the quarter at 71-60.

The Bolts momentarily closed the gap at 73-64 but despite several time-outs, they were not able to make up the difference. The Slingers ended the match with four unanswered points to close out the match 77-64.

“We have been here twice and we wanted to win this game. We lost because Slingers had too many free throws and our two big guys were fouled out in the first two quarters,” lamented Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio after the game.

In contrast Michael Johnson wore a face of satisfaction.

“We did very well. The other side was very aggressive and took us out of the game. Compared to the last game, we didn’t run around as much. The way they played made a big difference. We are looking forward to our last and final pre-season match and it’ll be a very good build-up (to the upcoming ABL season). There is still a lot of work to be done and we are very excited. These games will do us well,” he said.

Meanwhile coach Neo echoed his general manager’s sentiments. “It will get tougher and tougher. We have to keep stepping up.”

The Slingers will take on another Filipino side in Air 21 Express this Sunday, September 19th at 4pm at the same venue. It will be the final friendly for the local-based club before they embark on their second ABL season on October 3rd.

Scoring by Quarter
Singapore Slingers versus Meralco Bolts
1st Q: 13-10
2nd Q: 15-13
3rd Q: 28-25
4th Q: 21-16

Singapore Slingers Game Box Score

Meralco Bolts Game Box Score