 |
| Mason Santiago and Puerto Rico are all smiles after dealing Gilas another bad beat. FIBA |
MANDALUYONG--Gilas Pilipinas quickly lost steam after a surprisingly solid start and fell prey to Puerto Rico in yet another blowout loss, this time a 98-53 result, in their FIBA U17 World Cup match on Tuesday at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul.
Struggling to start strong in their first two assignments, Gilas took Puerto Rico by surprise as they dominated the first quarter and led, 24-16, at the end of the period.
However, Puerto Rico outscored Gilas, 62-10, in the next two periods to assert control of the game.
Jordan Dill led Puerto Rico, which will finish in third in Group A at 1-2, with 15 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Vincent Stewart added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist for Puerto Rico, which will face Group B's second-seed France in the playoffs on Wednesday.
Joaquin Ludovice put up 13 points on three triples, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal for Gilas, which remains winless at 0-3.
Up next for Gilas is a tall order against Group B's top seed USA also on Wednesday.
Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno
.jpg)
