Kouame, Perez lead Gilas in 19th Asiad opener over Bahrain
Gilas Pilipinas opened its 19th Asian Games men’s five-on-five basketball medal hopes on a stellar note, dominating Bahrain, 89-61 in Group C on Tuesday at the Hangzhou Olympic Center in China.
After a close first quarter, Ange Kouame and CJay Perez joined hands as the Philippines extended its lead to as high as 51-30 late before the first half.
The two combined for 17 of Gilas’ 29 second-quarter points, with Perez scoring seven straight in one stretch to help coach Tim Cone’s squad pull away with a double-digit margin before the break.
Justin Brownlee top-scored for the nationals with 20 points, nine rebounds, and three assists while Kouame and Perez both finished with 15 points each. Calvin Oftana contributed 10.
Gilas had a 52-38 lead in rebounding, and also had more assists, 24-11. The No. 38-ranked country also took advantage of its height, having a 21-5 disparity in points in the paint.
Maitham Jameel Alboathin led Bahrain, which is 31 spots lower than the Philippines in the FIBA rankings at No. 69, with 14 markers.
Gilas will face Southeast Asian rival Thailand next in Group C at the Zhejiang University Gymnasium on Thursday, September 28. A win will guarantee the team at least a playoff game for the quarterfinals.
In this edition’s format, 16 nations are divided into four groups of four teams each. The best-ranked team in each group after the group stage gets an automatic pass for the last eight, while the second- and third-placed teams will have to play an extra game to make the quarters.
Boxscores:
Gilas Pilipinas (89) – Brownlee 20, Kouame 15, Perez 15, Oftana 10, Fajardo 8, Lassiter 8, Thompson 5, Newsome 3, Aguilar 2, Alas 2, Ross 1, Tolentino 0.
Bahrain (61) – Almoathin 14, Rashed M. 13, Rashed A. 12, Buallay 8, Melad 6, Chism 5, Homad M. 3, Al Hassan 0, Hasan 0, Kadhem 0.
Quarter scores: 22-18, 51-33, 72-47, 89-61.
Written by Levi Joshua Verora Jr.
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