Vrsac Hemofarm, Serbia’s second best club team, handed Smart-Gilas RP team its third straight setback with a 98-67 drubbing Saturday in Belgrade, Serbia.

The Nationals proved no match to the taller but quicker squad who made mincemeat of their defense as they also shot well from afar – not to mention their dominating performance in the shaded lane.

The RP cagers will play Serbia's top club team in Partizan, the reigning eight-time league champions, today as part of their 10-day training in the former Yugoslavian state.

It was a double whammy for the Nationals as they lost their prospective naturalized candidate after Dwayne Jones was signed by the Phoenix Suns for the rest of the NBA season.

Standing at 6-foot-11, Jones was coming off an impressive stint with the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League (NBA D-League) enabling the Suns, currently third in the Western Conference playoff race with a 50-26 record, to call him up in lieu of injuries to their big men.

A D-League All-Star this season, he averaged 17.6 points and 16.0 rebounds in 48 games for the Toros, who is second in the D-League's Western Conference (31-18) behind the Rio Grand Valley Rapids.

Prior to joining the Suns, Jones was considered by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas as its candidate to become the Nationals' third import in a span of a year hoping to have a pivot man that can match up against some of Asia's big centers.