South Sudan dashed the Philippines’ hopes for the 2024 Summer Olympics, securing an uninterrupted 87-68 victory in Group M of the classification stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Gilas’ record plummeted to 0-4, while the Bright Stars improved theirs to 2-2. This outcome, coupled with Japan’s thrilling 86-77 win over Venezuela in Okinawa, eliminated the host nation from contention for the Paris games as the top Asian team in the tournament.
“I don’t think there’s much that needs to be said,” remarked Reyes. “We played our worst game when it mattered the most. South Sudan’s early surge, as AJ (Edu) mentioned, was met with an incredible fightback from the team.
“We exerted too much energy to claw our way back and didn’t have enough left to finish. It’s unfortunate that we shot below 40 percent from the field at this critical juncture. Our shots just weren’t falling. I guess that’s the tale of it,” the under-fire mentor continued.
Reyes’ team found themselves trailing by as many as 51-30, courtesy of Marial Shayok’s free throw at the 1:42 mark of the second quarter. However, Gilas managed to trim the deficit to as little as 60-56 with 7:28 remaining, following a dunk from Kai Sotto.
Ultimately, a 16-5 surge, capped off by three free throws from Nuni Omot, provided the Bright Stars with a 77-61 cushion that sealed the victory for South Sudan.
“It was a collective effort from my team,” stated South Sudan coach Royal Ivey. “Hats off to the Philippines. They competed relentlessly, every single player.
“They cut the lead to six. Even though we had an 18-point lead, they never stopped fighting. However, we didn’t want a repeat of the outcome in the Puerto Rico game. So, we put on our game faces and entered the fourth quarter with a competitive spirit, ultimately securing the victory,” the former NBA pro continued.
Leading Gilas was Jordan Clarkson with 24 points, followed by Dwight Ramos who contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds. AJ Edu put forth an outstanding effort with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
On the opposing side, Carlik Jones came close to a triple-double for the Bright Stars with 17 points, nine rebounds, and 14 assists. Nuni Omot and Majok Deng each scored 13 points, while Shayok added 12 points. Wenyen Gabriel secured 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Both teams will conclude their campaigns on Saturday. South Sudan will face Angola at 4:00 PM, while the Philippines will take on China at 8:00 p.m.
The Scores:
South Sudan (87) – Jones 17, M Deng 13, Omot 13, Shayok 12, Gabriel 11, Kacuol 8, Kuany 8, A Deng 3, Dech 2, Bar 0, Madut 0, Maluach 0.
Philippines (68) – Clarkson 24, Ramos 20, Edu 12, Sotto 8, Malonzo 4, Thompson 0, Ravena 0, Pogoy 0, Perez 0, Fajardo 0, Aguilar 0, Abando 0.
Quarterscores: 34-17, 51-33, 60-50, 87-68.
