Lack of cohesion and chemistry was evident in Meralco’s opening game against Shabab Al Ahli. But the Bolts are hopeful that gets better against B.LEAGUE champion Utsunomiya Brex.
After a rough start to their Basketball Champions League Asia campaign, the Meralco Bolts hope to find their rhythm in time for a daunting test against newly-crowned Japan B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex on Sunday, June 8.
The match starts at 10 p.m. (Manila time) at the Sheik Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall in Dubai.
Meralco opened its BCL Asia stint with an 87-101 loss to UAE powerhouse Shabab Al Ahli, where the Bolts’ lack of cohesion showed in their paltry 14 assists and shaky execution on both ends of the floor.
Imports Jordon Varnado and Glynn Watson led the scoring with 19 points each, while Chris Newsome chipped in 15. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a well-oiled Shabab Al Ahli side, exposing the challenges of assembling a team on the fly.
[ALSO READ: Meralco plugs in Jordon Varnado, John Egbunu, Glynn Watson for BCL Asia]
“We got three good players with us. But it’s really hard to get cohesion at the moment,” admitted Meralco coach Nenad Vucinic, whose squad is still trying to build chemistry with Watson, Varnado, and 6-foot-11 John Egbunu inserted into the roster just days before the tournament.
They now face a daunting task against the Utsunomiya Brex, bannered by reigning B.LEAGUE MVP DJ Newbill and another former MVP in Makoto Hiejima.
The Japanese champions are making their BCL Asia debut with hopes of asserting the strength of their domestic league on the continental stage.
For Meralco, a strong performance—and potentially a massive upset—could keep its campaign alive and reignite the team's confidence in the week-long club tournament.
[ALSO READ: BCL Asia guide: Meralco Bolts put PBA back to FIBA club competition]
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]