found defensive clout, Team Philippines crumbled against the much taller and deadlier South Korea, losing 56-69, Saturday night in the 25th FIBA-Asia men's basketball championship in Tianjin, China. Its first loss in three games in the tournament dropped Powerade-Team Pilipinas to second place in Group A, which Korea topped with a 3-0 win-loss card. The loss was the second one this year for the Philippines against South Korea which nipped the Filipinos, 83-80 at the Jones Cup in Taipei last month. The Philippines will next face Chinese-Taipei on Monday at the start of the quarterfinals. The Koreans led all throughout despite the tenacious Philippine defense which limited Korea to its lowest scoring output so far in the tournament. Poor shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, once again hampered the Philippines. Cyrus Baguio led a fierce rally in the third quarter as the Filipinos came to within four, 36-40, with 3:58 left in the third quarter. But the Koreans warded off the Philippine challenge as they knocked in timely baskets in the final minutes of the third and midway in the fourth quarter. The Philippines' big men managed to stymie South Korea's 7-foot-3 Ha Seung-Jin but could not stop his teammates like Yang Heejong who led Korea with 14 points. Oh Sekeun and Kim Minsoo added 11 apiece. Baguio topscored for the Philippines with 16 points while Mick Pennisi and Asi Taulava combined for 16. The Philippines played minus its starting center, Japeth Aguillar, who was still nursing a sore knee he incurred during the Filipinos' 115-31 demolition of Sri Lanka in the tournament's opening game. In other games of the day: Jordan beat the United Arab Emirates 79-67; Taiwan beat Uzbekistan 102-78; Japan beat Sri Lanka 148-45; Iran beat Kuwait 94-46; China beat Qatar 92-61; Kazakhstan beat India 74-72; and Lebanon beat Indonesia 123
