Batang Gilas settles for fourth place
Batang Gilas felt the wrath of a vengeful Chinese squad, bowing, 76-57, yesterday to settle for fourth place in the 2018 FIBA U-18 Asian Championship at the Stadium 29 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
The Philippine Youth team failed to regain its bearings after a 77-43 mauling from Australia in Friday’s semifinals as it trailed the Chinese from the onset.
After getting blown out in the first half, the Filipinos managed to come within 53-40 late in the third quarter. But the Chinese crushed the uprising in the final period, padding their lead to 71-51.
Kai Sotto scored with 16 points with eight rebounds while AJ Edu had 14 points and eight rebounds, but neither could match China’s renewed zeal in the rematch. Wang Quangze led China with 27 points and 14 rebounds. It was sweet revenge for the Chinese, who lost to the Filipinos, 73-63, in the group stage last Tuesday.
Despite the loss, it was PH’s best finish in nearly two decades as it matched its fourth-place performance in the 1990 edition in Nagoya, Japan.
Incidentally, the Filipinos also lost to the Chinese, 96-93, in that bronze medal game.
It also eclipsed the PH team’s seventh place finish in the 2016 edition in Tehran, Iran.
The PH Youth team is now moving forward to next year’s FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup where it qualified for the second time since the 1979 inaugurals.
Touted as the tallest youth team ever assembled, the Nationals showed promise at the start of the Asian tilt with lopsided victories over Lebanon (75-53) and United Arab Emirates (92-49).