Lithuanian team avenges loss to Gilas

MANILA, Philippines - Gilas Pilipinas lost steam and bowed to Birstono Jazz-Diremta, 79-86, to close out its Lithuanian training with a 5-2 win-loss record at the Svyturio Arena in Klaipeda, Lithuania Saturday night.

Showing up with their import in this rematch, the home team outlasted the Filipinos in the second half and avenged their 63-74 loss in their previous encounter.

The Phl training pool led by six points, 36-30, at the turn but faded in the final half as it reeled from manpower shortage.

Gilas missed the services of playmaker-scorer Jayson Castro due to an ankle injury and defender-utility guy Gabe Norwood who had left Lithuania ahead of everybody for his wedding with longtime girlfriend.

A big key for Jazz-Diremta, 14th placer in the last Lithuanian tourney, was outrebounding the Filipinos, 43-33.

“Weren’t ready to play today,” said assistant coach Josh Reyes on his Twitter account.

The Lithuanians played with determination and went all-out to get back at the Filipinos.

“Final game today. Originally not part of the schedule but this team, Jazz-Diremta, requested a rematch when we won our game vs them,” tweeted Reyes before the game.

Gary David made 25 points with Marcus Douthit and LA Tenorio adding 13 apiece for the Filipinos who are set to be back in Manila tomorrow.

In the first week of July, Gilas again leaves to set up another training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Meanwhile, Lebanon coach Ghassan Sarkis has named his 18-man training pool, including 7-foot-2 naturalization candidate Loren Woods.

Sarkis said he would quit his job if Woods, a six-year NBA veteran with stints with Minnesota, Miami and Toronto, is not naturalized.

“We are already late in practice, and yet we haven’t solved any of the issues. I have asked the federation for almost five months to start the process of naturalizing Woods and nothing has happened yet,” Sarkis was quoted as saying by the Lebanese media.

“Honestly, I have thought a lot about resigning, not to run away from the challenge, but because of my frustration over the lack of responsibility (by the federation). The only thing that keeps me from this step is the love of the challenge that brings me together with the players,” the 58-year-old coach also said.

Named to the Lebanese pool are Woods, Ali Mahmoud, Rodrigue Akl, Mohammad Ibrahim, Amir Saoud, Fadi al-Khatib, Hussein al-Khatib, Elie Rustom, Elie Stephan, Nadim Souaid, Mazen Mneimneh, Jean Abdel-Nour, Bassel Bawji, Ali Haidar, Philip Tabet, Ali Kanaan, Roy Samaha and Bashir Ammoury.

Lebanon, a major force with three second-place finishes in the last six FIBA Asia jousts, is pooled with Gilas Pilipinas in Groups A and B in the 2013 Asian meet in August.