After a surprising loss to Congo yesterday, Gilas Pilipinas Men made sure to return home with a win, picking up a 73-63 win over fellow World Cup team Ivory Coast, Sunday morning (Manila Time) in Spain.
Gilas ended their campaign in the 2019 Torneo de Malaga in third place.
Robert Bolick once again starred for the Philippines, finishing with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and an 8-of-8 clip from the charity stripe. He also grabbed seven boards.
“We’re all comfortable because we are all given freedom within his system,” Bolick told Paolo del Rosario of ESPN5. “It feels good to play because there is no pressure.”
Both Bolick and Andray Blatche were instrumental in the endgame.
With their double-digit lead sliced to five by Ivory Coast with less than two minutes left, Blatche powered his way to the pain for two free throws. Bolick then nailed a dagger trey to stop the 64th-ranked team from its tracks.
Despite going just 5-of-20 from the field, Blatche still put up 18 points and 18 boards.
Japeth Aguilar and Paul Lee added nine markers each.
Deon Thompson paced Ivory Coast, who is slotted in Group A of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The team flies back home on Monday.
The Scores:
Philippines 71 – Bolick 19, Blatch 18, Aguilar 9, Dalistan 9, Perez 8, Wright 6, Erram 4, Barroca 0, Belga 0.
Ivory Coast 63 – Thompson 20, Edi 15, Kone 11, Pamba 5, Sidibe 4, Sie 4, Bah 2, Baru 2, Fofana 0, Cisse 0, Coulibaly 0.
Quarterscores: 17-13, 39-29, 52-42, 73-63.
