Tag: OQT

Gilas Pilipinas beats Taiwan Mustangs in tune-up before OQT

On: By: admin


Dwight Ramos leads Gilas Pilipinas past Taiwan Mustangs in a tune-up game ahead of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament for the Paris Games. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas rolled past Taiwan Mustangs on Monday night, 74-64, kicking off its build-up for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament on a positive note.

Dwight Ramos had 19 points to lead the Nationals who are priming for the short meet that will complete the field in the Summer Olympic Games that will be held in Paris, France.

Justin Brownlee, fresh from plying his trade in Indonesia, delivered 12 points and 15 rebounds in a wire-to-wire victory fashioned before over 5,000 spectators at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

READ: Gilas loses Scottie to old injury, will fly with only 11 men to Latvia

“Well you know, we weren’t concerned about winning a basketball game, we wanted to play a certain style. And I think we did a really good job,” Gilas coach Tim Cone said shortly after the triumph over a visiting crew led by former PBA players Alex Cabagnot and Rashawn McCarthy.

“We got a lot of work to do but we have time. We got a lot of work to do ahead of us … We’ll just continue to get better and better as we move forward,” he went on.

Gilas will now set its sights on a pair of friendlies in Europe. The Filipinos fly to Turkey on Tuesday night where they will take on the host national team then move to Poland before plunging into action in the OQT in Riga where World No. 6 and host Latvia and No. 23 Georgia await.

Kai Sotto had nine points and nine rebounds, June Mar Fajardo chipped in eight points, while Carl Tamayo and skipper Japeth Aguilar combined for 13 in the scoring effort.

READ: Gilas plays tuneup matches before OQT

Gilas stuck with just 11 players as Roger Pogoy, a former national team gunner, joined the crowd as a spectator. He was with the team in its short closed-door camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna a few days ago.

Cone said he will be sticking with that roster number with Fajardo finally activated and Amos completing the cast as a replacement.

Jamie Malonzo, AJ Edu and Scottie Thompson are all sidelined by injury.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

Oscar Lopez, who served the Cambodian national team during the Southeast Asian Games in the past, had 15 points, Cabagnot tossed in 13, while McCarthy 12 for the Mustangs who were coached by former Rain or Shine coach Chris Gavina.

Gilas plays tuneup matches before OQT

On: By: admin


Gilas Pilipinas waves to the crowd after the Filipinos’ win over Chinese Taipei in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Chris Newsome, June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez, fresh off the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, will look to make good use of upcoming tuneup matches to gauge where Gilas Pilipinas stands against stiff opposition in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

Gilas is set to face Turkiye and Poland before the final phase of qualification for the Paris Olympics gets underway in Latvia on July 2, and coach Tim Cone said on Thursday that he hopes to make good use of those two OQT warmup matches.

“Playing against Turkey and Poland will give us an indication of what we will have to bring to Latvia and the OQT to be successful,” Cone told the Inquirer.

The Philippines will face host Latvia on July 2 and Georgia the following day in Riga, needing to win at one of those games in Group A to reach the semifinals.

But Gilas must top the Riga qualification to end the country’s 52-year wait to compete in the Summer Games.

Latvia made heads turn in last year’s World Cup when it made it to the quarterfinals behind guard Arturs Zagars and Italian coach Luca Banchi.

Before heading to Latvia, Gilas will train starting on Friday at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, then face the Taiwan Mustangs of The Asian Tournament on Monday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

The Mustangs are a team that includes ex-NBA players Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook, but there are reports that their availability for the Gilas face-off remains unsure.

Gilas flies to Europe the next day to hold those friendlies with Turkiye and Poland.

Expected to figure prominently in the OQT lead-up is Newsome, whose performance in the Philippine Cup Finals propelled the Meralco Bolts to their first PBA title.

Fajardo and Perez are part of the contingent, so is naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who is coming off a stint with Indonesian side Pelita Jaya in the Basketball Champions League Asia.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

Ginebra star Scottie Thompson, TNT’s Calvin Oftana, Japan B.League imports Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, KBL-based Carl Tamayo, La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao comprise the rest of the squad while Mason Amos and Japeth Aguilar are reportedly taking the place of injured players AJ Edu and Jamie Malonzo.