GILAS GOLDS CAP TEAM PHL STRONG FINISH

Before totally checking out, the Gilas Pilipinas men made sure Team Philippines is coming home with the gold medal that their kabayans wanted so badly to keep.

- By OLMIN LEYBA

Carrying the hopes of over 100 million souls, the Pinoy dribblers dug real deep to overcome Thailand's uber-tough on-court and off-court challenge, 70-64, to stay as kings of Southeast Asian Games basketball Friday night in Bangkok.

The Nationals' successful defense capped a searing nine-gold harvest for the 1,600-strong delegation a day before the closing ceremonies.

Both the regulars in the Philippines' gold-hauling machine and unexpected ones chipped in to the take.

The Gilas women marked their return to the throne as Tokyo Olympics bronze winner Eumir Marcial and now 11-time champion Philippine Blu Girls delivered a couple of the mints from the traditional sources in the last day of full-on action.

Out of nowhere, the giant-killing Alas Pilipinas women's beach volleyball crew joined the winners' circle along with ice skater Peter Groseclose (men's 500m Individual Short Track Speed Skating), bowlers Mark Jesus San Jose, Kenneth Chua, Marc Dylan Custodio and Artegal Barrientos (Team of 4), wrestler Gabriel Thomas Ginette (Men's Freestyle -86kg) and pentathlon ace Samuel German Individual Obstacle Laser Run).