■ GILAS AVENGES 2015 LOSS TO CHINA IN FIBA ASIA CUP

Gilas avenges 2015 loss to China as they beat the latter in their first assignment of the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup Terrence Romeo carried the team at crunch time, scoring the bulk of his 26 points in the final period to lead Gilas

Wherefore art thou, Romeo? He was there when the team needed him most. Terrence Romeo stepped up and led the Gilas Pilipinas to a 96-87 victory over China in their first assignment in the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup in Beirut. Romeo scored 26 points. Gilas faced a tough squad without their big men Andray Blatche and June Mar Fajardo. A head-butting incident forced officials to send Calvin Abueva off the game. But a triple from Romeo in the last four minutes of the game, followed by shots from Christian Standhardinger and Matthew Wright, pushed the Gilas out of harm’s way. Up next: Iraq on Friday

Terrence Romeo pulled the big, important shots to lead Gilas Pilipinas to beat China, 96-87, in their first assignment of the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup in Beirut.

Romeo scored 26 points, scoring huge baskets in the fourth to lead Gilas’s win. He had four assists and converted five of his seven attempts from the arch.

The Philippine squad finally avenged their 2015 loss to China in the Fiba Asia Championship final.

Yesterday, the team had odds stacked against them as they were playing without big men Andray Blatche and June Mar Fajardo. To make things worse, Calvin Abueva was ejected following a headbutt incident with China’s Li Gen.

A more motivated Gilas then went on to lead by as much as 17 points but China recovered and took the lead in the fourth quar- ter, 84-82, with six minutes left on the clock until Romeo took matters on his own hands.

A triple from Romeo put the game in an 87-all deadlock in the final four minutes of the game, followed by a fadeaway and another hard three for Gilas to snatch the lead back, 92-87, before Christian Standhardinger and Matthew Wright closed the deal for Gilas Pilipinas.

Standhardinger also shared the spotlight as he scored 15 points and six rebounds in his debut with Gilas. Wright added 12.

Gilas will be playing Iraq on Friday.

FOTO FROM FIBA WEBSITE HERO. Terrence Romeo was the hero of the day for the Philippines as he scored the important points in the fourth quarter to lead the team to victory over China.