Heartbreak at MOA Arena: Gilas Pilipinas Mounts Epic Comeback But Falls to New Zealand, 69-66

Gilas Pilipinas gave the packed Mall of Asia Arena crowd a rollercoaster ride Thursday night, rallying from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter only to fall agonizingly short against New Zealand, 69-66, in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Dwight Ramos led the charge with 16 points and eight rebounds, scoring five clutch points down the stretch. CJ Perez added 15 points after a blazing start where he hit back-to-back threes, while Juan Gomez de Liano chipped in 10 points. AJ Edu filled up the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks despite only scoring five points.

The Kiwis controlled most of the game, building a 57-46 lead heading into the fourth. Pero Gilas had other plans — they fired off a 7-0 run capped by a Ramos three to close within 66-64 with 47 seconds left. Yanni Wetzell's putback pushed the lead back to four, but Ramos quickly answered to make it 68-66 with eight seconds remaining.

After Reuben Te Rangi split his free throws to make it 69-66, Gilas had one final shot to potentially force overtime. Ramos got the ball but his buzzer-beating attempt missed the mark, and the Tall Blacks held on. Max Darling led New Zealand with 11 points, with Alex McNaught and Sam Mennenga adding 10 each.

The loss drops Gilas to 2-1 in the qualifiers. Justin Brownlee had a rough night, shooting just 2-for-10 from the field for only four points. Gilas will need to regroup quickly as they face Australia next on March 1 at the same venue. Sayang — it was that close.

Source: GMA News