AUSSIES HAND GILAS ANOTHER LOSS
After a tough fighting performance against France, Gilas Pilipinas wanted to play even better but failed against FIBA Oceania and the world’s ninth-ranked team Australia.
Team PHL hung around only in the first 25 minutes of the game before eventually giving way to a 97-75 rout by the Aussies in Day Two of the Antibes International Basketball Tournament at the Azur Arena in Antibes, France Saturday (early Sunday morning in Manila).
“We wanted to be better today than we were yesterday. Obviously, we weren’t. Let’s see how we’ll react tomorrow,” said Gilas coach Chot Reyes.
“Tough one tonight. Australia was able to impose their size and strength on us in the second half. Gotta keep on learning and improving,” said assistant coach Josh Reyes.
The Aussies, featuring the San Antonio Spurs’ Aron Baynes, the Chicago Bulls’ Cameron Bairstow, the Utah Jazz’ Dante Exum and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Matthew Dellavedova, made the killing from a close 64-60 count in the third quarter thus coming through with the 22-point victory.
Baynes, Dellavedova, Ryan Broekhoff, Brad Newley and Nathan Jawai put in twin-digit outputs for Australia, a top bet in Group D play in the coming FIBA World Cup in Spain.
Tenth placers in the last world meet, the Aussies did impose their size and strength in the payoff period, crushing the Filipinos, 24-12.
The Filipinos, led by Andray Blatche with 20 points and 10 rebounds, stayed right behind the Aussies in the first half, trailing, 17-20, in the first quarter and, 42-47, at the turn.
The Aussies, twice fifth finishers in the world joust, opened a double-digit spread as they stepped up in the third quarter.
There was no stopping the team from Down Under from thereon.
Gilas Pilipinas hopes to avoid a winless outing in the Antibes pocket tourney versus Ukraine Sunday (Monday in Manila). (SB)
The scores:
Australia 97 – Baynes 15, Broekhoff 14, Dellavedova 13, Newley 13, Jawai 10, Exum 8, Gibson 7, Motum 7, Goulding 6, Bairstow 4, Ingles 0.
Gilas Pilipinas 75 – Blatche 20, Castro 12, Chan 11, David 10, Dillinger 8, De Ocampo 4, Norwood 3, Alapag 2, Tenorio 2, Aguilar 2, Fajardo 1, Pingris 0, Lee 0, Belga 0.
Quarterscores: 20-17, 47-42, 73-63, 97-75.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.