GILAS Pilipinas went on a 10-0 run late in the second quarter to tie New Zealand, 37-37, at the half in their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers game at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Dwight Ramos and Calvin Oftana fueled the brave run to get Gilas back in the game after New Zealand threatened to pull away by opening a 37-27 lead.
READ Eight years on, one holdover in Australia lineup from Gilas brawl
Oftana made a three off the bench then finished the half with a jumper to keep the score close even with Justin Brownlee going scoreless after missing all five of his shots.
CJay Perez led Gilas in scoring at the half with 12 points, followed by Ramos with seven points. Debutant Juan Gomez de Liaño and Quentin Millora-Brown had five apiece.
Sam Mennenga had seven points and four rebounds, and Max Darling had six on two threes for the Tall Blacks.
Perez fueled a fiery start for the hosts, scoring their first 10 points Gomez de Liaño and Millora-Brown helped to get Gilas going in the early part of the first quarter.
But the Tall Blacks found their rhythm late in the first and eventually took a 25-21 lead at the end of the quarter.
Shots began to fall on a consistent basis for the Tall Blacks in the second quarter on their way to a big lead late in the half.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
