Taipei sends Gilas to 0-2 start in Fiba Asia Challenge

Photo from Fiba.com

Gilas Pilipinas couldn’t sustain its strong start for the second straight game to fall to Chinese Taipei, 87-76, in the 2016 Fiba Asia Challenge Sunday night (Manila time) in Tehran, Iran.

The young Filipinos held a seven-point lead, 24-17, at the end of the first quarter and were still in a 62-deadlock heading into the fourth period.

But it was all Chinese Taipei in the final frame, where the Taiwanese led by as much as 15 points.

Taipei’s naturalized player Quincy Davis towered above everyone else and wound up with 19 points and 16 rebounds with five assists to boot.

Mac Belo led Gilas, which enters the second phase of the tournament winless at 0-2, anew with 17 points while CJ Perez contributed 15 points.

The Philippines lost to India, 91-83, in its opener despite taking an early 12-2 advantage.

Gilas got dominated in the rebounding department, 57-40.