Gilas Pilipinas opens Doha tourney with come-from-behind win over the hosts
Gilas Pilipinas kicked off its journey toward the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers February window with a promising start.
Under the guidance of Tim Cone, the squad secured a thrilling come-from-behind victory against Qatar in a nail-biting 74-71 showdown at the 2nd Doha International Cup, held early Saturday morning at the QU Sports and Event Complex.
Dwight Ramos was a standout for the Nationals, contributing 15 points along with two rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. June Mar Fajardo also made his presence felt, adding 12 points and grabbing seven boards while dishing out two assists and swatting away a shot.
Barangay Ginebra stars Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson also shone brightly, with Brownlee finishing the game with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals, matching Thompson’s scoring output, who added two assists and one block to his stat line.
Overcoming an 11-point deficit in the third quarter, the Philippines rallied back to erase a 66-58 gap in the final period. Brownlee sparked the surge with a crucial basket that narrowed the gap to three at 66-63 with 5:01 remaining on the clock.
AJ Edu contributed significantly as well, ending the contest with six points and 10 rebounds. He brought Gilas even closer, scoring on a powerful slam 18 seconds later to make it 66-65. Moments later, Brownlee delivered a thunderous dunk that flipped the script, giving the Philippines a 70-69 lead.
In a tense finish, Tyler Harris’s jumper cut the deficit to a single point, 72-71, with under 30 seconds to go, after Ramos had earlier pushed Gilas’ margin to three. That clutch bucket would be Qatar’s final score of the game.
Thompson sealed the victory by sinking two crucial free throws with just 16 seconds left, while Mike Lewis’s last-second three-pointer that could have sent the game into overtime fell short.
Harris led Qatar with 17 points, while Lewis chipped in 15. Looking ahead, Gilas will face Lebanon and Egypt in their campaign in Qatar, with a matchup against Lebanon scheduled for tonight, Manila time.
