South Korea stamped its class over the hapless Philippine team that should have been stronger with PBA MVP Jun Mar Fajardo cleared to play. The Philippines national basketball team got manhandled by their bitter rivals 118-86 who advanced to the Semifinals of the Fiba Asia Cup 2017. South Korea will next face powerhouse Iran or the host Lebanon for a seat in the Finals.
Philippines versus South Korea result
Gilas Pilipinas swept its games in the group phase and advanced straight to the quarterfinals and the South Koreans have to dispatch a tough Japan team to reach the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup 2017.
That being said, the Philippine team was not considered as the heavy favorites entering this quarterfinal match up having lost 9 out of their last 10 meetings against South Korea. The Filipinos’ last win came on their home floor during the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships.
In FIBA Asia Cup 2017 in Beirut, Lebanon, South Korea again asserted its mastery over the Philippines. South Korea started hot and it looked like the Koreans will run away with the game early. Employing their usual crisp ball movement, the Filipinos were a bit slow on the defensive end allowing the Koreans to easily penetrate and snipe from the outside.
The only bright spot for Gilas Pilipinas is Jason Castro William, ever the steadying presence for the Philippine team.
The Koreans weren’t able to pull away only because the Philippines started to clamp down on defense midway through the first quarter, forcing 4 turnovers in the first 6 minutes of the first quarter. Castro, as Jason William is known in his native Philippines, repeatedly fed Christian Standhardinger.
The first quarter also saw the debut of Jun Mar Fajardo in the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 but the big man looks out of rhythm as he struggled to with the quickness of the Koreans.
At the end of the first quarter, the Koreans were ahead by only 8 points, 26-18, despite the Philippines not hitting their outside shots and not playing their usual game.
The second quarter started with both teams hitting long bombs after long bombs. Kim Song Hyung and Terrence Romeo figured in a shootout early in the second quarter but the Koreans still looked like they are the better team by being more consistent from the three point distance, building a 41-29 lead early in the second quarter.
The Koreans further extended their lead to 16 points before Gilas Pilipinas found their rhythm. Romeo, Castro, and Japeth Aguilar combined for a quick 10-2 run that cut the Korean’s lead 43-51. Romeo scored 22 points in the second quarter alone, keeping the Philippine team in the game and trailing 49-57 at the end of the first half.
South Korea turns it up in the second half
Like the previous quarters, the Koreans forced the Philippines to play their game, extending their lead to 78-55. Tempers flare as the Philippines seems unable to get anything going. The Koreans poured it on, ending the third quarter with a seemingly insurmountable lead 86-62.
It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as South Korea run away with the victory, giving the hapless Gilas Pilipinas one of its worst losses in international competition.
For what it’s worth, it looked like that the Philippines had their share of bad luck, with balls not going their way and consistently finding their way to the South Korean hands. In addition, the Filipinos kept missing shots at point blank range. However, the Koreans are not to be denied as South Korea thoroughly outplayed the Philippines.
Oh Se-Kyun top scored for the South Koreans with 22 points. Terrence Romeo scored 22 points for the Philippines, all in the second quarter.
