A rivalry is set to be renewed
Group B leaders Gilas Pilipinas will face a familiar opponent in the knockout quarterfinal stage of the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup as South Korea advanced to the next round after an 81-68 thumping of Japan, early Tuesday morning.
And there is no love lost between the two squads even after Gilas’ historic win over South Korea during the 2013 edition of the tournament.
South Korea was able to avenge that loss a year later during the 2014 Asian Games as the South Koreans eked out a 97-95 win over Gilas. A year later, the seniors squad, though finishing second in the 2015 Jones Cup, was handed one of its two losses by South Korea, 70-82.
It took two years before the two squads faced off again after that meeting in the 2017 Jones Cup. Gilas, a team composed of the cadets squad, lost to South Korea, 72-83.
South Korea’s leading scorer and rebounded for the tournament is the 6-foot-7 Oh Sekeun who is averaging 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in the tourney. 6-foot-2 guard Kim Sunhyung follows him at 12.8 markers on game, shooting 54.5 percent from downtown. Both are part of the new wave of South Korean cagers.
Though there will be a lot of new faces from both sides and South Korea no longer being the powerhouse it once was, the two teams know the history behind the storied rivalry and will certainly duke it out come Wednesday in Beirut.
