Though the Philippines had no chance to advance to the next round, Ricci Rivero and the Gilas U23 3×3 squad made sure to leave Xi’an, China with a win.
Friday evening, the Philippines stunned China, 21-15, to end their campaign with an even 2-2 record.
The Philippines went 0-2 on opening day, losing 14-21 to Slovenia and 16-21 to Serbia. The young Pinoys bounced back on Day 3, opening the day with a 21-8 win over Turkmenistan.
However, with this being China’s first loss in Pool C, the hosts and Slovenia advance to the next round.
Rivero provided the spark for the Philippines, scoring the go-ahead basket early. Together with RJ Abarrientos, the Philippines would take the lead late, 17-13.
China tried to fight back, cutting the lead down to just three, but Abarrientos made sure to hold them off, capped by a long two-ball to seal the win.
Abarrientos had 10 points in the game, while Rivero added seven.
The Scores:
Philippines 21 — Abarrientos 10, Rivero 7, Amsali 3, Faundo 1.
China 15 — Jiang 10, Gu 3, Zheng 2, Li 0.
