Philippine basketball has achieved breakthroughs but beset by several setbacks in the past decade, particularly the past two years, but the men’s national team has put all those bittersweet memories to rest, bringing home Asian basketball’s most coveted prize.
Gilas Pilipinas, the ragtag squad assembled in less than two weeks before this year’s Asiad, vanquished group stage tormentors Jordan, 70-60, on Friday evening on Chinese soil to bag the 2022 Asian Games men’s basketball gold medal last won by Asia’s basketball capital in a four-peat achieved in 1962.
Most importantly, without a shadow of doubt, this team composed of Chris Newsome, Kevin Alas, Scottie Thompson, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Junemar Fajardo, C.J. Perez, Calvin Oftana, Japeth Aguilar, Justin Brownlee, and Ange Kouame emerged as the greatest Philippine basketball team in the modern era.
Mentored by head coach Tim Cone, with assistants Jong Uichico, Richard del Rosario, and L.A. Tenorio, the Philippines played total team basketball, with ball movement, grit-and-grind defense, gang rebounding, and timely contribution from all the players fielded, in winning their most important match of the quadrennial meet.
But it was last year’s Ateneo leading man Kouame who towed his team in the endgame, scoring six of Gilas’ last eight points and hauling crucial rebounds to stave off Jordan’s comeback attempts.
The 6’11” Kouame, the only non-PBA player in the squad, was across the board with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, three blocks, 5/6 from the field, and converting his four free throws all made in the final quarter to lead Gilas.
Explosive long-time Ginebra import Brownlee, who scored 34.5 points a game in the previous two games, played role player duties in the fourth quarter, particularly in defending hulking Jordanian center Ahmad Al-Dwairi to allow Kouame to play switching defense in the perimeter, still tallied huge numbers with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Newsome and Oftana likewise played big, with the Meralco guard playing excellent single coverage defense on former NBA standout Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and adding 13 points while the former NCAA Most Valuable Player scoring all of his five points in the pivotal third quarter, where Gilas erected what had been an insurmountable double digit lead.
Jordan, led by Hollis-Jefferson (24 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists) and Al-Dwairi (eight points and 15 rebounds), bagged their first-ever basketball medal in the Asiad.
Host country China routed Taiwan in the battle for bronze earlier to get the consolation medal.
Jujitsu brace
The Philippines displayed its mastery in jujitsu for a second consecutive day as women’s 57 kg. grappler Annie Ramirez scored a crucial takedown against Kazakh foe Galina Dulanova in the final to complete the country’s golden brace in the sport.
Dulanova was all over Ramirez for the first three minutes of the match but the Filipina managed to grab the heel of the Kazakh and completed a reversal in the 3:30 mark for a 2-0 win.
This is the first gold for Ramirez in the quadrennial meet, five years after suffering a first round exit on her Asiad debut. She has previously won 4 continental and 3 SEA Games titles.
Yesterday, teammate and close friend Meggie Ochoa won the women’s 49 kg. gold via advantage over UAE’s Balqees Abdulla.
In the women’s 52 kg. class, Kaila Napolis notched a go-ahead sweep in the last 30 seconds to secure a bronze medal for her country, defeating Abdulla’s compatriot Hessa Alshamsi.
Earlier, the men’s national sepak takraw team notched its second bronze medal of the Asiad, reaching the semifinals of the regu (3v3) event but lost to Malaysia, 15-21, 11-21.
The nationals, composed of Jason Huerte, Mark Joseph Gonzales, Rheyjhey Ortuoste, Ronsited Gabayeron, and Jom Lerry Rafael, also won the consolation in the quadrant event (4v4) two days ago.
The Philippines now sits at 16th place in the overall standing with four gold, two silver, and 12 bronze medals with two days remaining in the Asiad.
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