By Ivan Saldajeno
MANILA--Encho Serrano sizzled to lead the Philippines past Turkmenistan, 21-14, in the final game of the men's division of the FIBA U18 3x3 World Cup in Chengdu, China on Friday night.
The 5-foot-11 guard was an unstoppable force for the Philippine side as he scored eight of the team's 17 points to build an 11-point cushion.
Turkmenistan tried to mount a comeback, making six consecutive points to cut the lead down to five, but the Philippines hung on with Serrano finishing the game off.
The win, coupled by Israel's 16-21 loss to Netherlands earlier Friday night, lifted the Philippines to the quarterfinals.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno