IRI / PHI - Overtime power gives Iran the bronze

JOHOR BAHRU (FIBA Asia U16 Championship) - Iran and Philippines shared the honours during a keenly contested regulation time - which ended level at 70 for both teams - before the former forced their way to victory in Overtime.

The 83-73 win on Friday, thus gave Iran the bronze medal and the rare honour of becoming the only team to win a medal in all three previous FIBA Asia official competitions.

Iran had won the gold at last year's FIBA Asia U18 Championship at home - ahead of Kazakhstan and Syria. And more recently, the WABA giants had retained their title at the FIBA Asia Championship - ahead of China and Jordan.

Sajjad Mashayekhi and Soheil Yousefi scored four points each, Mohammad Ojaghi three and Amir Sedighi two as Iran held the edge in the Overtime.

As against this Von Pessumal's was the lone field success for Philippines to go with Jeron Teng's lone free-throw.

That difference in scoring made all the difference on the scoreboard too.

The fortunes in the game earlier swung like the proverbial pendulum.

Back to back steals by Jeoffrey Javillonar - the first to score himself and the second to assist Joshua Alolino helped Philippines nudge ahead 15-12 at the end of the first period.

And three successive offensive rebound conversions - once each by Mohammad Ojaghi, Mir Fattahi and Amir Sedighi - after Hamid Faghihparvar had scored in the paint helped Iran close the first half 37-31 ahead.

It was only a travelling violation by Kiefer Ravena - which truncated a Filipino fast break - in the dying moments of the third quarter, which helped Iran start the fourth quarter 56-53 ahead.

And when Pessumal powered Philippines to a 7-0 run midway through the final quarter and built on it for a 67-61 lead, Mashayekhi and Faghihparvar scored once each on the paint and twice each from the foul-line to bring Iran right back into the game.

Ravena's drive in the lane put Philippines 70-69 ahead. And Yousefi succeeded with his first free-throw to level the score, but missed the second to keep it only level.

Scores

Iran 83 (Soheil Yousefi 18, Mir Fattahi 17, Hamid Reza Faghihparvar 16, Sajjad Mashayekhi 13, Amir Sedighi 12) bt Philippines 73 (Kiefer Ravena 18, Von Pessumal 13, Roldan Sara 11, Joshua Alolino).

S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia