Gilas out of medal race

Phl out of medal race, relegated in fight for 5th to 8th

painful Korea defeat inflictedin their the storied Philippines rivalry, brandishingyet another superb ball rotation and razor-sharp shooting to hack out a 118-86 win in their quarterfinals matchup in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex in Beirut last night. Imposing in their wins against Kazakhstan, New Zealand and Japan, the Koreans dished out an even more impressive game against the Filipinos, hitting at an unbelievable 66.7 clip to stop Gilas Pilipinas on its tracks in the tourney.

The Koreans thus avenged their loss to the Filipinos in their semifinal matchup in the 2013 Asian meet in Manila and, in the process, earned a spot in the semis against the winner of the IranLebanon quarters setto. With the loss, Gilas, runner-up in the last two editions of this biennial Asian meet, was relegated in the fight for fifth to eighth places.

With a near flawless game spiked by their wondrous shooting, the Koreans took the opening quarter at 26-18, the half at 57-49 and pulled away for good on transition attacks on successive miscues by Gilas at the start of the third.

The Koreans padded their lead to 24 points at the end of the third and were hardly challenged the rest of the way.

Terrence Romeo kept Gilas in the game on a 22point explosion in the second quarter before he was held scoreless in the second half.

Veteran forward Oh Sekeun and young center Kim Jongkyu, striking hard on drop passes by the Korean guards, combined for 37 points.

Meanwhile, gunners Chan Hee Park, Choi Junhong, Lee Junhyong, Heo Ung, Kim Sunhyong, Jeon Junbeom, Yang Hongseok and Lee Seounghyun combined for 16-of-21 threepointers.

Behind Romeo, Christian Standhardinger and Jason Castro, the Filipinos put up some challenge only in the first half of play.

June Mar Fajardo finally played some minutes but hardly made a difference.

So sharp was Korea, hitting at an incredible 72.7-percent clip to carry an eight-point margin at 57-49 over into the second half.—

FIBA.COM PHOTO Terence Romeo of Gilas Pilipinas defends against a South Korean player during their quarterfinal match in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup last Wednesday night in Beirut, Lebanon. Gilas suffered another heart-breaker at the hands of the Koreans, 86-118, to bout...