While the struggles at the free throw line plagued the Pinoy ballers all throughout the game, it was also their early fouls which the Kiwis took advantage of.
The Philippine basketball team Gilas Pilipinas fell short to the Tall Blacks of New Zealand, 88-63, wrapping up their quest at the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
The Philippine squad suffered a cold shooting night, shot just 35.8 percent from the field, including only 5-of-25 from beyond the arc, and missed 13 of 23 free throw attempts in a subpar performance in front of the home crowd yesterday (February 27) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
While the struggles at the free throw line plagued the Pinoy ballers all throughout the game, it was also their early fouls which the Kiwis took advantage of.
New Zealand went into attack mode to start the second frame and went on a quick 8-1 run to take a 30-20 lead after Tom Vodanovich’s layup midway through the quarter.
Like in their first game against India, it was the duo from Japan who led the Gilias Pilipinas with an all-around game.
Thirdy Ravena led the Philippines with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals while Dwight Ramos added 18 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.
Only Robert Bolick was able to add a double-digit performance for Team Pilipinas with 10 points.
While the hosts struggled offensively, the visitors spread the wealth with five players scoring in double double figures.
Vodanovich took the lead with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Kiwis, while Dion Prewster turned in an all-around performance of 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Rob Loe also added another double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Now donning the Tall Blacks’ jersey, Taane Samuel, who once played for the De La Salle University, displayed an impressive performance tallying 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting.
With the loss, Gilas Pilipinas ended in the 2nd spot in Group A ending with a 2-1 record. New Zealand gets the top spot with a perfect 3-0 record while India is at the bottom with 0-3.
The next window of qualifiers will be in June.
Tags: #sports, #basketball, #GilasPilipinas, #FibaAsianQualifiers