PH upsets world No. 6 Latvia in FIBA Olympic qualifying tourney

HISTORIC WIN. Gilas Pilipinas, world no. 37, scores a huge upset against world no. 6 Latvia, 89-80, in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024 in Riga, Latvia on Thursday, July 4, 2024. (Photo courtesy of FIBA)

By Jelly Musico | Philippine News Agency

Gilas Pilipinas stunned the partisan crowd as the Filipinos scored a huge upset against world no. 6 and host Latvia, 89-80, in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024 in Riga, Latvia early Thursday (Manila time).

The Filipinos, ranked 37th in the world, started the game with a sizzling 8-0 run, leading by as much as 18 points in the second period due to the efforts of Justin Brownlee, Kai Sotto, and June Mar Fajardo.

The host team fought back in the fourth quarter to reduce a 21-point lead, 71-56, to just 10 points but Brownlee completed a crucial four-point play that gave Gilas an 85-71 lead with only 3:29 left.

Having won the Asian Games gold in 2023 after 62 years, Gilas Pilipinas, under head coach Tim Cone, made history again as the Philippines snatched their first win against a European team in 64 years.

According to the FIBA website article, the last time the Philippines won against a team from Europe was during the 1960 Olympic Games against Spain, winning 84-82.

Brownlee led the Philippines with a nearly triple-double performance of 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists; while Sotto drilled 18 points and Dwight Ramos added 12 markers.

Gilas Pilipinas’ next game is against Georgia which absorbed a 55-83 loss from Latvia on Tuesday.

Popular

Palace orders probe into China’s alleged interference in midterm polls

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos and Wilnard Bacelonia | Philippine News Agency Malacañang on Friday ordered the immediate and deeper investigation into China’s alleged interference with...

Malacañang slams ‘fake news’ on P20/kg. rice, charter change push

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency Malacañang on Friday slammed the proliferation of “fake news” and “disinformation” about the quality of rice that...

Marcos forms gov’t caretaker committee during foreign trips

By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. created a three-man Executive Committee to manage the day-to-day operations of the...

Chinese-funded trolls, other espionage threats bared in Senate

By Wilnard Bacelonia | Philippine News Agency Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino on Thursday presented documents linking the Chinese Embassy in Manila to a covert...