MANILA -- The club may be a last-minute entry to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup but Chooks-to-Go showed it wants to be first in the race to the championship of the club competition.
The Philippine side, mainly composed of the Gilas Cadets, stunned Kazakhstan's BC Astana, 73-65, in the main game of Day 1 of the tournament at the Chenzhou Sports Center in Chenzhou, China on Friday night.
Chooks-to-Go turned up the heat defensively in the second half as clutch baskets helped the team withstand Astana.
Chooks-to-Go started the game on a 7-0 run before holding off Astana the rest of the first quarter for a 21-19 lead.
However, Astana sizzled in the second period, outscoring Chooks-to-Go, 24-14, to lead, 43-35, at the half.
Chooks-to-Go then went to work in the last 20 minutes at the stopping end, limiting Astana to only 12 points in the third quarter -- and scoring 22 in the process -- and only 10 in the payoff period.
However, an LA Revilla layup off a steal and a short jumper from Isaiah Austin were what Chooks-to-Go needed at crunch time to break away for good.
Kiefer Ravena led Chooks-to-Go with 22 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Austin, an honorary draft pick in the 2014 NBA Draft who now plays for Chinese Basketball Association side Guangxi, made a good account for himself in his debut, tallying 17 markers, 18 caroms, one assist, one steal, and more importantly six blocks.
Dmitriy Gavrilov led Astana with 11 markers in a game where American reinforcements Anthony Clemmons and Justin Carter struggled.
Box Scores:
Chooks-to-Go 73: Ravena 22, Austin 17, Manuel 10, Jeric Teng 7, Jose 6, Revilla 5, Cruz 2, Torres 2, Tamsi 1, Jeron Teng 1, Vosotros 0
Astana 65: Gavrilov 11, Carter 10, Clemmons 10, Murzagaliyev 8, Zhigulin 8, Degtyarev 8, Yergali 6, Marchuk 2, Kolesnikov 2, Chsherbak 0
Quarterscores: 21-19, 35-43, 57-55, 73-65. (PNA)
