A day after men tumble, Gilas women take 21-point humbling
–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Ariya Kurniawan | Instagram @ariyakurniawan16
Even with the sub-par enjoying ground, the warmth and officiating, Pat Aquino was fast to not make excuses.
“They acquired us within the third quarter, easy as that,” Aquino instructed the Inquirer over the telephone, minutes after his Gilas Pilipinas ladies took an 89-68 whipping by the hands of heavily-reinforced Indonesia to virtually bow out of the gold medal race within the thirty second Southeast Asian Video games in Cambodia.
“We weren’t making our pictures from the perimeter, they usually (Indonesians) did,” Aquino mentioned. “They needed it extra this time round.”
It was simply the primary loss in three video games for the Filipinos, however Aquino shouldn’t be entertaining wild ideas of nonetheless salvaging the title owing to the event format of a single spherical play that awards the gold to the nation with the perfect document.
“They’ve simply two video games left,” Aquino mentioned as Indonesia battles Cambodia and Singapore to spherical out its schedule. “And let’s be sincere about it, these are very weak groups.”
The Filipinos, in the meantime, nonetheless have video games in opposition to Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia left.
“I instructed my gamers that there’s nothing to be ashamed of, regardless of how this event ends for us,” he mentioned. “I’m very proud that they by no means gave up.”
The defending champions had only a few solutions to an unbeaten Indonesian facet that caught hearth within the third interval, in the end taking place at Morodok Techo Nationwide Stadium in Phnom Penh.
Janine Pontejos led the Philippines with 11 factors, whereas Chack Cabinbin chipped in 10.
Yuni Anggraeni had 24 factors constructed on a highly-efficient taking pictures for Indonesia, whereas naturalized participant Kimberley Pierre Louis tossed in 20 factors and 15 rebounds.
“After all, the prospect of relinquishing your throne is hard, painful,” Aquino mentioned. “However seeing my gamers give it their all, not giving up, is the very essence why we play this sport, the very essence of enjoying for our nation.”
Bounce again sport
Gilas Pilipinas within the SEA Video games 2023. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Ariya Kurniawan | Instagram @ariyakurniawan16
That leaves the burden of taking dwelling a basketball gold on the Gilas males, who will attempt to put behind their beautiful loss after they battle light-weight Singapore Saturday.
A win within the 2 p.m. sport (Manila time) is not going to solely ease a number of the ache of a 79-68 loss to Cambodia on Thursday however seal a spot within the Remaining 4 for the Filipinos.
With an anticipated win over the Singaporeans, the Filipinos win will seal a conflict with the No. 1 crew in Group B within the semifinals, which can possible be defending champion Indonesia.
Nationwide coach Chot Reyes is ensuring Justin Brownlee regains his optimum enjoying form and the remainder of his crew get their act collectively.
“You understand, we’re not a one-man crew. The others ought to choose up the slack and that’s what I instructed the fellows after the (loss),” he mentioned.
“We missed a ton of layups and a ton of free throws. If we cleaned these up—the issues we usually make—then even with Justin struggling, we might’ve made it a better ball sport,” he added.
Capturing woes
The Philippines bowed to a Cambodian facet closely bolstered by Individuals, however greater than the disparity within the naturalized gamers, Gilas really shot poorly throughout that tension-filled conflict that doomed Reyes and his fees.
“[The loss is] one thing we will study from. We transfer on to the subsequent sport, then we put together for the knockout semifinals,” Reyes mentioned.
Gilas was 28-for-76 from the sphere and had been much more horrendous from three-point vary, going 5-for-20. Not serving to was an equally frosty outing from the charity stripe, the place the Nationals transformed solely seven of their whole 16 tries.
Compounding the Philippines’ woes was Brownlee’s dehydration, which had the do-it-all ahead cramping simply when it was attempting to mount a comeback.
Already a weapon quick with out Calvin Oftana—who harm his calf additionally by slipping on the makeshift flooring—Gilas was compelled to play catch up for a lot of the contest.
A win will seal a conflict with the No. 1 crew in Group B within the semifinals, which can possible be defending champion Indonesia.
Reyes was not too eager on making an enormous deal out of the enjoying situations on the Cambodian capital, which led to Brownlee’s episode and even to Chris Newsome slip. However stacked upon one another, these little points finally stored his fees from enjoying to their full potential.
“We couldn’t get to our spots faster. We couldn’t benefit from our quickness that a lot,” he mentioned. “However like I’ve mentioned we’re all enjoying underneath the identical situations. I’m not right here to make excuses.”
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