CHOOKS-TO-GO Pilipinas settled for fifth place in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup on Saturday at Chenzhou Sports Complex in China
The Philippine squad, led by former NBA prospect Isaiah Austin and Kiefer Ravena, finished their campaign with an 89-79 triumph over Mono Vampire of Thailand.
Austin, the team’s 7’1” naturalized center, finished with 37 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks. Amateur standout Kiefer Ravena finished with 18 points.
Teammate Jet Manuel added 13 points for the national team.
The local hoopsters held their ground after the Vampires rallied in the fourth period. The Thais closed in to cut the gap to just two points, 74-72.
But Chooks-to-Go wrapped it up with a 15-5 run as the national team posted the win pulling away.
Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas was a late invitee to the tournament, receiving a wild card entry with a little over two weeks before the competition. The hastily-formed squad exceeded expectations to tally key victories in the regional competition.
Ravena was among the best players in the tournament, averaging 20.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists.