[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Gilas Pilipinas escapes Qatar, stays unbeaten in Fiba Asia ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas squandered a double-digit lead before hanging on to an 80-74 victory over Qatar in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup last night at the Nouhad Nawfal Arena in Beirut, Lebanon.
Matthew Wright led the way with 25 points, including seven three-point conversions, for the national men’s basketball team, which ended its Group B assignment with a 3-0 win-loss slate.
Carl Bryan Cruz added 13 markers, with 10 in the first half, while Gabe Norwood and Terrence Romeo contributed 10 markers apiece for the Gilas, which has clinched an outright quarterfinals seat.
The Gilas was shorthanded heading into the match with June Mar Fajardo (calf) and Christian Standhardinger (stiff neck) out. Calvin Abueva and Cruz also sustained minor injuries in the game.
Both teams had tight exchange early in the opening quarter before the Gilas built a 23-11 lead on consecutive points by Wright. The Qatar came to within single digits but baskets by Romeo increase the Gilas lead anew at the end of the period.
The Philippine team struggled to score early in the second quarter but Cruz drained back-to-back triples for a 32-20 lead. The Qatar had another run to cut the deficit to 35-28 but triples by Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy gave the Gilas a 41-27 halftime lead.
The Gilas was able to build its largest lead early in the third quarter at 49-29 after a Norwood triple but Qatar clawed its way back to within nine points but hits by Terrence Romeo and Wright extended Gilas lead to 59-47 heading into the final quarter.
The Qataris waxed hot early in the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to as low as five points at 73-68 but eight straight points by Romeo and Wright sealed the win for the Gilas.
Mansour Elhadary top-scored with 23 points, while Abdulrahman Saad added 18 markers for the Qataris, which ended its campaign in the tournament with 0-3 win-loss record.
BOX SCORE:
PHILIPPINES 80 – Wright 25, Cruz 13, Norwood 10, Romeo 10, Castro 6,
Pogoy 5, Almazan 4, Aguilar 3, Abueva 2, Jalalon 2.
QATAR 74 – Elhadary 23, Saad 18, Erfan 9, Abdelhaleen 8, Mohamed 6,
Al-Muftah 6, Mohammed 4, Al-Darwish 0, Abdelkawy 0, Al-Rayes 0.
Quarterscores: 25-16, 41-27, 59-47, 80-74./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
