Gilas PH repeats over Lithuania U-20 team

GILAS-PILIPINAS repeated over the tall Lithuanian Under-20 team, 88-84, Thursday after taking care of the ball better and getting a lift from Marcus Douthit and Gary David offensively.

It was the second straight win for the Filipinos, who improved to 4-1 overall with two games left in their Lithuania training stint designed to toughen them up for the Fiba Asia World Championship qualifier here in August.

Left in Team Philippines’ schedule is Baltai, the only squad to beat the Filipinos thus far, on Friday and Bistrono on Saturday. Coach Chot Reyes said they opted for two more games to simulate the Fiba schedule of seven games.

Douthit scored 27 points and David, the scoring champion in the last PBA season, added 18, Ranidel De Ocampo tossed in 12 for Reyes, who sat out Marc Pingris because of a shoulder injury.

The Filipinos committed just seven turnovers and used that to win a very physical game against the Lithuanians, who were bolstered by the presence of three US NCAA Division I players.

The Filipinos fly home early next week and will leave again early next month to play a series of friendly matches with NBA Summer League teams in Las Vegas.  Musong R. Castillo