MANILA (SEABA Championship 2017) - Singapore were much better than the 21-point beatdown they received against Indonesia last night, and center Delvin Goh knows it.

The 2.00m big man is convinced he and his teammates will get a good grasp of their bearings once they get used to the system of new head coach Frank Arsego. The moment that happens, Goh knows Singapore will be a much tougher outfit at the SEABA Championship 2017.

It may not happen tonight, though, when they try to handle their business against hosts Philippines, who turned a lot of heads with a jaw-dropping 107-point blowout of hapless Myanmar. For sure, Goh and his marquee mates, Wong Weilong, Leon Kwek, Larry Liew, Hanbin Ng and the rest of the lot have to reach deep within themselves and play near perfect basketball just to keep in step with Gilas Pilipinas. That's easier said than done, of course, especially with the Filipinos way ahead in terms of size and skill, but Singapore are more than ready to face the challenge with all their might.

This much he said in an interview with FIBA.com

How do you feel about the team's result against Indonesia?
It was our first actual game as a team, we had about 1-2 weeks of training before this competition. The style is different as we changed our head coach, so we needed some time to adapt and the first game, clearly we didn't start well at all. A lot of turnovers, couldn't handle the ball properly, but yeah, as we proceed to the next few games, we'll try and tidy some stuff . A loss is a loss, and we just gonna learn from it.

What must Singapore do better in future games to get better results?
I guess we have to handle the ball well, play better defence, and have better shot selection then we'll be fine.

As an individual player, what made it difficult for you against Indonesia's big men?
I think that Indonesia did a good job helping each other on defence. It's clear that when I go in the paint, they are packing it in real quick. I just have to do my moves faster than usual in this situation.

What did coach Arsego tell you guys after the game against Indonesia?
Well, he had many points written on the board before the game, we reflected on the things we did afterwards and the things that we didn't. One thing stands out most was our shot selection.

What is your mindset as you approach the game against the Philippines?
Just play the game to the best of my abilities.

In past games, Singapore have managed to stay close to the Philippines. Do you think you can do that again here in SEABA 2017?
This time, they definitely sent a really strong team that can compete even at the world level, but we just got to do what we should do, follow instructions and play our game. If we do that, the result will take care of itself.

FIBA