Filipinos fail to finish Gilas stint on a high note despite win over Iran

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/JIM CHOU

TAIPEI – Gilas Pilipinas played with control practically all game on Sunday night and clipped a young Iran squad, 90-82, but it wasn’t exactly the high note finish to the Filipinos’ Jones Cup Invitational campaign that coach Chot Reyes was shooting for.

In fact, he saw the victory by the Filipinos in an entirely different light.

“I thought this was the worst game we played here,” Reyes said after the Filipinos closed out with a 6-3 record to finish fourth and out of the medal. “We played a lot, lot better in the games we lost.”

Mike Myers scored 21 points and had 11 rebounds and Matthew Wright tossed in 20 for the Filipinos, who were dragged into a see-sawing game by this Iranian team whose stars stayed home to prepare for bigger tournaments ahead.

“Maybe the players were tired already,” Reyes said after their ninth game in the same number of days. “Or, they may have overlooked Iran. I really thought we played well below our potential in this game.”

Still, Reyes believes that this Gilas squad, the core of which will be representing the country in the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia late next month, represented the national program well and was able to provide the feeling of home to the thousands of OFWs who went to see the games at Taipei Peace Basketball Hall here.

“Overall, it was a good tournament for us,” he said. “Not only did we leave a good impression (to the fans and foes) here considering that this team has been together for just three weeks. It speaks well of the program.

“Unfortunately, it could have ended better for us.”

Gilas lost to Canada, South Korea and Lithuania, but those were games that the players impressed Reyes the most.

“Against Korea, we shot poorly but defended very well,” Reyes said. “It was the same thing against Canada and Lithuania. I was very happy with (the defensive effort the players showed in) those games.”

Christian Standhardinger was the third and plast player in twin digits for Gilas with 13 as Reyes opted to play Jio Jalalon just over 13 minutes.

The team planes back to Manila on Monday morning after which Reyes meets with fellow coaches and the leadership of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to come up with the final 12-man roster for the Fiba Asia Championship slated in Lebanon starting August 8.
Members of the team that played the Jones Cup, most of them anyway, are already slated to see action in Kuala Lumpur where the country shoots for an 18th gold medal. Troy Rosario and Baser Amer are listed to join the team.

The Scores:

GILAS PILIPINAS 90 – Myers 21, Wright 20, Standhardinger 13, Pogoy 9, Ravena 8, Cruz 5, Parks 5, Ferrer 3, Jose 2, Tolomia 2, Pessumal 2, Jalalon 0.

IRAN 82 – Pazrofteh 21, Soleymani 21, Khajehzadeh 12, Mozafarivanani 11, Rezaeifar 11, Beigiharchegani 3, Falahat 2, Shaharian Nasl 1, Mohammadi 0, Rezaei 0, Reaei 0.

Quarters: 26-22; 50-42; 70-62; 90-82.