Gilas opens FIBA OQT with historic win over home team and World No. 6 Latvia

Gilas Pilipinas made a historic start to their Olympic Qualifying Tournament campaign by securing a stunning upset victory over Latvia with a score of 89-80. This win has put them in a strong position to advance to the semifinals of the Paris Olympic qualifiers, marking a significant achievement for the team.

Leading the charge for the Filipinos was Justine Brownlee, who delivered an outstanding performance with 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Additionally, Kai Sotto contributed 18 points and eight rebounds, showcasing a dominant presence on the court.

The team’s wire-to-wire victory left the crowd at Riga Areana in disbelief as they witnessed the fall of the sixth-ranked team in the world.

Notably, this triumph against Latvia marks the first time in 64 years that a Philippine team has defeated a European opponent in a FIBA tournament, with the last instance being a victory over Spain during the 1960 Rome Olympics according to FIBA records.

Gilas Pilipinas started strong with an 8-0 lead and impressively extended their advantage to 26 points in the third quarter. Despite a late rally from Latvia, the Philippines maintained their composure and secured the crucial win, propelling them to the top of Group A with a 1-0 record.

Key contributions from Dwight Ramos, June Mar Fajardo, and Chris Newsome, who all scored in double figures, further solidified Gilas’ impressive performance. However, the team must quickly shift their focus to their upcoming match against Georgia, with a win needed to secure a spot in the crossover semifinals.

Georgia, who suffered a significant loss to Latvia in their opening game, will be looking to bounce back against a resilient Gilas Pilipinas squad. Despite the absence of their star point guard Arturs Zagars, Latvia’s Rodion Kurucs led the team with 18 points in a valiant effort.

The scores

Philippines 89 – Brownlee 26, Sotto 18, Ramos 12, Fajardo 11, Newsome 10, Perez 6, Quiambao 3, Aguilar 2, Tamayo 1, Oftana 0.

Latvia 80 – Kurucs 18, Dav. Bertans 10, Strelnieks 10, Zoriks 10, Smits 9, Strautins 6, Lomazs 6, Dar. Bertans 5, Timma 3, Mejeris 1.

Quarterscores: 32-16, 54-38, 67-56, 89-80.