IT has suffered three losses in three games and the rest of its assignments have been downgraded to exhibition matches, but Smart Gilas will battle on.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala said on Wednesday Smart Gilas will continue its stint in the KFC-Philippine Cup despite the Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) decision to declare as no-bearing the developmental pool’s remaining games in the conference.

The SBP mulled over cutting its stint short, but PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios and Eala, a former commissioner of the league, ironed out things while the league was on break.

“We are thankful to commissioner Barrios for ensuring that the Smart Gilas games versus the PBA teams will be played under conditions and terms of engagement which will not be only competitive and exciting but also totally helpful and in line with the national team program,” said Eala.

“I am always confident we will positively work out what is good for the RP team. We are all behind it,” said Barrios.

The team, however, has yet to play with a full roster as the SBP is having trouble getting the services of amateur standouts Paul Lee of University of the East and Junmar Fajardo of University of Cebu.

“There is a ‘resistance’ from the handlers of Lee and Fajardo to release them to the national pool,” said Eala, without elaborating the details of their discussion with the players’ agents

Lee and Fajardo are on the lineup of the Smart Gilas team for the ongoing All-Filipino tournament but missed the first three games.

Lee was part of the Red Warriors squad that finished second to Ateneo in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines while the six-foot-nine Fajardo led the Webmasters to the finals of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc.