Gilas Pilipinas Basketball

Gilas Pilipinas used a strong second half to pull away and fend off a pesky Thailand side, 87-72 on Thursday at the Zhejiang University Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.

Justin Brownlee scored nine of his team-high 22 points in the third, powering Gilas in a 27-15 period.

The naturalized forward added 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and four blocks in stellar all-around showing as the Philippines improved to 2-0 in Group C.

CJay Perez scored 16 points, while June Mar Fajardo and Calvin Oftana chipped in nine and eight, respectively.

Fajardo’s basket late in the third saw the nationals pull away with a 21-point lead, 68-47.

Later in the final frame, Thailand refused to roll over, with Freddie Lish’s jumper capping a 17-2 run that cut the Gilas lead down to 70-65 with 6:12 remaining.

But Gilas responded strongly and extended the lead back up to double-digits from the foul line, 84-72 with Scottie Thompson’s free throws sealing the win with 48 seconds left.

Heritage player Tyler Lamb led the Thais with 29 points while Lish supported with 22. However, Moses Morgan did not see action for the squad.

The Philippines imposed its will inside, having a commanding 63-35 advantage in total rebounds and a 23-11 lead in points in the paint. Coach Tim Cone’s troops also doubled Thailand’s assists, 24-12.

Gilas’ eager Southeast Asian counterparts raced to a 10-point lead late in the first quarter, 22-12, but the Philippines was able to erase the early deficit and take a six-point lead into the halftime break.

In the other Group C match, Jordan beat Bahrain, 84-60 to likewise improve to 2-0, making its meeting with the Philippines on Saturday, September a battle for the group’s outright quarterfinal berth.

Boxscores:

Gilas Pilipinas (85) – Brownlee 22, Perez 16, Fajardo 9, Oftana 8, Thompson 7, Aguilar 6, Kouame 5, Newsome 5, Alas 3, Lassiter 3, Tolentino 3, Ross 0.

Thailand (72) – Lamb 29, Lish 22, Muangboon 6, Morgan J. 5, Jakrawan 4, Klahan 4, Boonserm 0, Jaisanuk 0, Towaroj 0.

Quarter scores: 20-22, 35-41, 50-68, 85-72.

Written by Levi Joshua Verora Jr.