HEADING into the game, I wondered what University of the Philippines (UP)’s Malick Diouf would be like for the Fighting Maroons. When Ateneo first saw him with Centro Escolar University, he gave the Blue Eagles fits. And that was with a team of no-names. Imagine what he would do with…
Gilas falls short in upset effort against Serbia in FIBA Olympic qualifier
enablePagination: false Courtesy: FIBA
(CNN Philippines, July 1) A young Gilas Pilipinas side almost pulled off a stunning upset against world no. 5 Serbia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade.
Gilas stayed within striking distance in the fourth period until NBA big man Boban Marjanovic took over to lead Serbia to an 83-76 victory on Thursday at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade.
The gritty Gilas players battled their way back from a 16-point deficit and briefly took the lead in the third minute mark of the final quarter before the 7-foot-3 Marjanovic scored eight of Serbia s last 10 points to secure the win.
FIBA OQT News: Serbia Survives Scare From Philippines, Leads Group A With Perfect Record
KEY POINTS
The Filipinos briefly held a one-point lead in the fourth quarter
Serbia coach Kokoskov praises the Filipinos for their effort
The Serbian national team survived a potential scare in their victory over the young Philippine basketball squad
The FIBA Olympic Qualifiers started off with a heart-stopping game between Serbia and the Philippines.
Playing in front of their homecourt, the Serbians asserted their dominance on both ends of the court as they utilized their height to perfection, leaving the relatively-inexperienced Philippine team to chase them throughout the early part of the game.
Serbia Survives Scare, Leads Group A With Perfect Record ibtimes.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ibtimes.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.