Hapless Rain or Shine still winless in Jones Cup after loss to Qatar- August 15, 2023
POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
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Faris Avdic
Rain or Shine just cannot catch a break. The Elasto Painters remained winless in the William Jones Cup in Taiwan after a 93-86 loss to Qatar at the Taipei Heping Gymnasium on Tuesday, August 15. Import Nick Evans turned in his finest performance for Rain or Shine with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks, but the PBA club failed to get the job done in the fourth quarter and slipped to a 0-4 record. Mike Lewis paced Qatar with 19 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals, sparking a 13-6 stretch that saw his side blow the game wide open, with a slim 80-77 lead turning into a 93-83 cushion with a minute remaining. Faris Avdic (201-F-1997) delivered the killing blows by scattering all of his 5 points in the final 1:20 minutes as he buried a trey and sank a pair of free throws to cap that run. Ndoye Seydou (205-F-1999) put up 17 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds, Mohamed Nago tallied 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while Nedim Muslic produced 12 points and 4 assists for Qatar, which notched its first win in four games. Things nearly came to blows midway through the fourth quarter when Qatar big man Meho Haracic (212-C/F-1998) shoved the Elasto Painters' Santi Santillan following a collision with 7:25 minutes left. Nick Demusis (193-F-1991, college: Whittier) and Jewel Ponferada tried to confront Haracic before cooler heads prevailed. Anton Asistio backstopped Evans in scoring with 16 points, Santillan had 12 points, while Ange Kouame posted 10 points and 9 rebounds in the losing effort. Playing its fifth game in as many days, Rain or Shine aims to break through as it battles Iran on Wednesday, August 16. |
