Gilas Pilipinas overcame an 11-point deficit to secure a hard-fought 74-71 victory against Qatar in their opening game of the Doha International Cup on Saturday (Philippine time) at the QU Sports & Events Complex in Doha, GMA News Online reported.
Trailing 60-49 late in the third quarter, the Philippine squad found its rhythm in the final period, outscoring the hosts 23-11 to snatch the win. Justin Brownlee, who struggled early in the game, sparked the comeback with a personal 5-0 run, bringing Gilas within three points with about five minutes remaining.
AJ Edu added to the momentum with a dunk that trimmed the deficit to one, 66-65. After a brief exchange of baskets, a Dwight Ramos jumper ignited Gilas’ final push. Edu’s free throw and a Brownlee dunk handed the Philippines a 70-69 lead. Ramos then drilled a crucial three-pointer to extend the advantage, 72-69, with under two minutes left.
Qatar’s Tyler James Lee Harris kept the game close with a late basket, but Scottie Thompson’s free throws sealed the win for the Philippines.
Ramos led Gilas with 15 points, hitting three of five shots from beyond the arc, while June Mar Fajardo contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Brownlee finished with 10 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter, and Thompson also chipped in 10.
Harris paced Qatar with 17 points, while Mike Lewis added 15.
Gilas Pilipinas will next face Lebanon on Saturday at 11 p.m. as part of their preparations for the upcoming February window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers and the main tournament in August.
