Gilas comeback falls short vs Poland

Gilas Pilipinas’ comeback in the final minutes of the match fell short as Poland escaped with an 82-80 win in a tune-up game at the Arena Sosnowiec early Sunday (Manila time). 

With the Polish, No. 15 in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rankings, on top, 82-72, Gilas went on an 8-0 zip with CJ Perez capping the run with a jumper with 2.3 seconds left on the clock. 

Poland was able to avoid getting fouled in the dying seconds of the match to escape with the win.

Despite the loss, this scoreline was better than the 73-84 loss to Turkey last Thursday.

Michał Sokołowski led the Polish with 21 points, two rebounds and five assists as they prepare for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Valencia, Spain from 2 to 7 July. 

Dwight Ramos led Gilas after scoring 16 points and nine rebounds, 

The Philippines will be traveling to Riga, Latvia for the OQT from 2 to 7 July where the champion secures a spot for the Paris Olympics.