Gilas Pilipinas struggled to match up against a taller and hot-shooting Egypt squad, falling 86-55 in their final game of the 2nd Doha Invitational Cup early Monday morning (Manila time).
After a competitive first quarter where Gilas led 19-18, Egypt took control in the second period with a 21-9 run. That surge gave the Pharaohs an 11-point halftime lead, and the Filipinos never recovered despite the support of a pro-Gilas crowd at the Qatar University Sports and Events Complex.
Justin Brownlee was the lone bright spot for Gilas, finishing with 18 points and five rebounds. No other Filipino player reached double figures.
Gilas wrapped up the tournament with a 1-2 record, with its lone victory coming against host Qatar, 74-71, on opening day.
Egypt dominated the tournament with a perfect 3-0 slate, led by Ehab Amin Saleh’s 20 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Amr Zahran contributed 12 points, while 7-foot-2 big man Omar Tarek Oraby added 10 points, making both of his three-point attempts. Oraby’s back-to-back triples fueled Egypt’s decisive second-quarter run.
Lebanon secured second place with a 2-1 record after a narrow 72-69 victory over Qatar in the opening game. The Cedars won their second straight contest, following a 75-54 win over Gilas just 24 hours earlier.
Host Qatar went winless in three games, finishing at the bottom of the standings.
Gilas Pilipinas returns to Manila late Monday night before departing for Chinese Taipei the following day for the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
The Filipinos face Taiwan on the 20th, then head to Auckland to take on New Zealand on the 23rd.
The scores
Egypt (86) – Saleh 20, Zahran 12, Aboushousha 11, Orabi 10, Taha Mohamed 8, Mahmoud 7, Abelgawad 5, Metwaly 5, Elmekawi 4, Abdellatif 2, Nasr 2, Shehata 0.
Philippines (55) – Brownlee 18, Tamayo 9, Thompson 6, Edu 6, Ramos 6, Fajardo 5, Quiambao 3, Perez 1, Newsome 1, Malonzo 0, Amos 0, Oftana 0.
Quarterscores: 18-19: 39-28; 57-45; 86-55.
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