By Randy Caluag
Gilas Pilipinas started slow before blowing away Vietnam, 88-60, to remain unbeaten after four games in 31st Southeast Asian Games at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium on Thusday in Hanoi on Thursday.
Missing and turning the ball over in many occasions, the Vietnamese were locked at 50 while the Filipinos, led by JuneMar Fajardo and brothers third and Kiefer Ravena, tore the game apart in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.
An undergoal stab by Fajardo, that came after a three-point play by Thirdy, gave Gilas its biggest lead of 29 points, 79-50, with 5:32 in the game.
Led by their superstar Christian Juzang, the Vietnamese gave the Filipinos a scare in the first half, even leading at 17-16 before Gilas took back the driver’s seat with a 20-17 first quarter lead.
The Filipinos take a much needed break on Friday, before taking on Malaysia on Saturday (May 21) and Singapore on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Gilas Pilipinas Women kept its streak intact as it eked out a 118-87 rout of Vietnam in front of a jampacked local crowd that came to support its home squad.
It turned out to be a one-sided show as the Filipinas fired from all angles and powered their way to a third straight victory.
Five Gilas women logged in double figures with Khate Castillo topscoring with a game-high 25 points, seven of them coming by triples. Afril Bernardino and Gabi Bade had 14 each, while Camille Clarin fired 11 and Claire Castro scored 10.
Everyone fielded by coach Pat Aquino scored.
Castillo and Bade joined hands in tearing the game wide open in the first quarter with a 40-20 lead that slowly grew quarter after the quarter.
The biggest lead came at 107-70 following a triple by Bernardino halfway in the final canto.
he day before.
