Romeo vows to be consistent

FIBA Photo Terrence Romeo put on another dazzling display of basketball brilliance when Gilas Pilipinas tallied a 91-73 victory over Chinese Taipei in the third window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier Friday night at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium in Taipei City.

Romeo delivered 14 points in only 25 minutes of action to spark the Filipinos’ attack in the second period, where they erected a nine-point edge, 44-37, entering the break.

It was all Gilas from there as June Mar Fajardo and Andray Blatche caught fire while Jason Castro and Gabe Norwood took turns in punching holes on the Taiwanese’s defense.

With the win, the Philippines has a golden chance to steal the lead in Group B when it faces Australia in a crucial match tomorrow night at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Whoever wins will not only gain a 5-1 win-loss card entering the next round, but will also draw massive momentum against teams like Iran, Qatar and Kazakhstan.

Romeo said there’s still a big room for improvement as far as his performance in the international arena is concerned.

“I think I still need to be more consistent,” he told ESPN5 after his first Asian Qualifier stint.

“It would be worthless if you will play good today only to play bad tomorrow. I need to be more consistent just like Jimmy (Alapag) and Jayson (Castro). That’s what I need to learn.”

Castro, the prolific playmaker who made a mark in the international play, said Romeo has what it takes to be his successor.

He said it’s just a matter of time before he and Kiefer Ravena take over to continue what they started, a colorful international career that started in Manila and peaked at the world’s biggest basketball stage in Spain.

“I can sense that Terrence and Kiefer will be our successors for as long as they will be more matured inside and outside the court,” said Castro, who delivered 15 points against the Taiwanese.

“I always tell them that they have to be good examples. They have a big responsibility both inside and outside the court.”

“It’s just a matter of time,” he said during the post-match press conference.

He knows that the battle against the Boomers will be another chance for him to prove that he’s the rightful successor to Castro’s throne.