Gilas begins WCQ quest with rout of India

Dwight Ramos continues to show his consistent play for Gilas even with a new coach. FIBA

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Gilas Pilipinas opened its campaign in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers on a winning note after drubbing India, 88-64, on Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Despite a sloppy game that saw Gilas committing 17 turnovers, the team gradually stomped its dominance over India amid a slow start.

Dwight Ramos paced Gilas, which will next face New Zealand on Sunday night, with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

Thirdy Ravena added 15 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal.

In his first game in any competition back since hurting his calf earlier this month in the PBA Governors' Cup for TNT, RR Pogoy put up 12 points, four rebounds, and two steals.

Kib Montalbo also made an impression in his Gilas debut, putting up eight points including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the third quarter, three rebounds, and one steal.

Kelly Williams put up four markers, four boards, one dime, and two steals in his Gilas comeback.

Sahaij Sekhon put up 14 points, one rebound, and two steals, while Prashant Rawat had 13 markers, 10 boards, and one steal for India, which fell to 0-2 in Group A.

India will play New Zealand again on Monday to close out the Quezon City window.

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