Gilas Pilipinas blasts Indonesia behind Thirdy revelation

Ferdinand Ravena

Gilas Pilipinas' young guns proved worthy of their spots in a hard-fought 100-70 road victory over Indonesia in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers on Sunday, February 23, in Jakarta. Ferdinand Ravena (189-G-96), one of the 5 amateur players in the 12-man lineup, put up 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks as the Philippines opened the first window of the qualifiers with a 1-0 record in Group A. Despite playing only his second game for Gilas Pilipinas, Thirdy looked comfortable in the international stage after scattering 13 points in a fiery third-quarter charge that saw his side pull away for good. Indonesia, inspired by its home crowd at the Britama Arena, narrowed the gap to 51-55 before Thirdy took over, scoring 5 straight points in a 12-2 run that opened the floodgates entering the last frame. Roger Ray Pogoy (189-SG-92) backstopped Thirdy with 16 points and 6 rebounds, CJ Perez added 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Kiefer Isaac Ravena (181-G-93) had 10 points, 4 steals, and 3 assists in the win. Meanwhile, Gilas Pilipinas first-timers Juan Gomez de Liano and Dwight Ramos (193-G) also made their presence felt. Gomez de Liano finished with 10 points and Ramos filled up the stats sheet with 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Courtesy of: rappler.com

Tags : FERDINAND RAVENA, PHILIPPINES U18 NATIONAL TEAM, FIBA ASIA CUP BASKETBALL