Dwight Ramos saves day as Gilas Pilipinas fends off Iraq to stay alive in Asia Cup

Dwight Ramos (193-G-1998, college: CPP) rose to the occasion in game where Justin Brownlee fired blanks as Gilas Pilipinas stayed alive in the FIBA Asia Cup after a 66-57 win over Iraq at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, August 9. Ramos churned out a game-high 21 points and 5 rebounds, showing the way in a pivotal third-quarter turnaround that allowed the Philippines to finally crack the win column and earn its place in the qualification to the quarterfinals. The Filipinos trailed 33-35 early in the third period before Ramos poured 10 points in a blistering 22-2 run as they built a commanding 55-37 cushion and led the rest of the way. Coming off a 37-point explosion in a 94-86 loss over New Zealand, Brownlee finished with just 8 points on a 3-of-12 clip — the naturalized star even limited to just a single point in the first half. It was the lowest scoring performance in this Asia Cup for Brownlee, but he made his presence felt in the other departments with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals as the Philippines finished third in Group D with a 1-2 record. Gilas Pilipinas will face the second placer from Group C, which consists of China (2-0), Saudi Arabia (1-1), Jordan (1-1), and India (0-2), for a spot in the quarterfinals. AJ Edu (208-F/C-2000, college: Toledo) backstopped Ramos with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, June Mar Fajardo (210-C-1989) chimed in 6 points and 7 rebounds, while Tamayo Carl (200-F-2001) added 6 points. Thulfiqar Hammoodi (196-F-1992) and Ali Ismael (199-F-1994) fired 13 points each to pace Iraq, which ended its campaign without a win in three games.
Courtesy of: rappler.com