Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

Gilas falls to Egypt to open King’s Cup campaign


Gilas Pilipinas bowed to Egypt, 73-58, in its 10th King Abdullah Cup opener, Monday night at the Prince Hamzah Sport Hall in Amman, Jordan.

Naturalized center Ange Kouame led the Filipino dribblers with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Isaac Go had 13 markers as well off the bench.

It was the 6-foot-8 Go who helped sparked the youth-laden crew’s late-game fightback, scoring seven in an 8-2 spurt that sliced a 12-point deficit to just half, 58-64, with less than three minutes remaining.

That, unfortunately, would be the closest that Gilas could get. The Egyptians responded with eight consecutive points, with Ali Ahmad’s triple serving as the exclamation point for a 72-58 lead with 41 ticks left to play.

Amro Mohammad Abd Alhalem led the perennial Afrobasket contenders with 14 points. Omar Saeed Arabei supported him with points.

Gilas actually ruled the boards, 50-43, but it only shot a measly 14-percent from beyond the arc by making just four of its 27 attempts. It also committed 15 turnovers, which the opposition converted to 22 points.

This was Gilas’ first game back since the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament-Belgrade, albeit with the addition of comebacking pool members.

Dwight Ramos has returned to action after sitting out the OQT due to a groin injury, He made nine points, five rebounds, four assists, and a block.

Thirdy Ravena is back with the national team as well. The Japan B.League import finished with eight markers and eight boards.

Others who have also rejoined the squad are Dave Ildefonso, Matt Nieto, and Rey Suerte, all of which have recovered from their respective injuries.

#ReadMore  Chot Reyes reflects on the challenging selection process: 'The deepest cut'

Gilas has a chance to atone for its opening night loss versus Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, July 27, at 6:00 p.m. (Manila time).

The Scores:

Gilas Pilipinas (60) — Kouame 13, Go 13, Ramos 9, Ravena 8, Belangel 6, Baltazar 4, Heading 3, Ildefonso 3, Navarro 1, Ma. Nieto 0, Chiu 0, Tamayo 0, Abarrientos 0.

Egypt (73) — Alhalem 14, Arabei 11, Kamal 9, Hussin 6, Saleh 6, Shehata 6, Khlaf 6, Shosha 6, Ahmad 3, Elmekawy 2, Bakhet 2, Abdellatif 1, Abdelgawad 1.

Quarterscores: 12-13, 24-33, 43-55, 60-73.

Written By

Oftentimes on the sidelines. Forever a student of the game. Morayta-bred.


You May Also Like

Basketball

Jamie Malonzo will miss Gilas Pilipinas’ FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign as he continues to recover from a calf injury. Head coach Tim...

Basketball

Isaac Go seemingly has that extra push whenever he faces San Miguel. The fifth-year stretch big man reset his career-high in points, firing 22...

Basketball

Terrafirma dragged the heavily-favored San Miguel to a sudden death following a 106-95 shocker in arguably the biggest upset of the PBA Season 48...

ADMU

Ateneo de Manila University has secured the commitments of two promising young prospects: Femi Edu and Kristian Porter. Both will join the Blue Eagles...

Basketball

Terrafirma is finally back in the playoffs after eight years. The Dyip put an end to that long of a drought following a 104-96...

Basketball

It’s on to the quarterfinals for Magnolia. The Hotshots advanced to the next round of the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup after surviving Terrafirma,...

Basketball

Stephen Holt saved the day as Terrafirma weathered NorthPort, 110-108, for win no. 5 in the PBA Philippine Cup, Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino...

Basketball

It became an easy decision for Bennie Boatwright to undergo naturalization for the Philippines following his PBA stint with San Miguel Beer. The 27-year-old...

Advertisement